


Chrysalis

by capnvanillawithsprinkles, Xevn



Series: Learning to Live, Not Just Survive [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-03-13 09:13:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 34,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13567434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capnvanillawithsprinkles/pseuds/capnvanillawithsprinkles, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xevn/pseuds/Xevn
Summary: This is a continuation from The Skin I Live In. Clexa is firmly established but now that Clarke's sex change has happened she is now stepping out of the house into the world that rejected her.On top of that Nia Queen is still on the lose. Suarez and Sellers are trying to determine who all the players in the kidnapping ring are.





	1. Painting the Truth

**Author's Note:**

> This barely has plot to it. This is where the story begins to unfurl. Abigail Griffin can't believe what she sees across the room.

Dr. Abigail Griffin fought her sadness as she stepped through the crowd spilling from the gallery’s doors.  Though on the outside her calm and collected facade of a surgeon remained intact, her inner monologue shouted and cried. She had spent the last hour convincing herself that Dr. Kane was right; she owed it to her son to support the arts. Clark’s disappearance more than a year ago destroyed her. Her husband’s death a few years before paled in comparison.

 

A silky voice spoke through the speakers as she entered.

 

**_Welcome to the first annual benefit for the Lost Children of Arkadia Foundation.  Several local artists and some of the children themselves have spent the last few months putting paint to canvas to bring hope to the hopeless. The art around the room will be sold or auctioned to support the treatment and education of all those that were saved. And, to honor those that did not survive their ordeal. We feel that their lives should have more meaning than to spend their days in a cage. Ladies and gentlemen, please help yourselves to the open bar and be generous. Thank you._ **

 

On the far side of the room, Clarke squeezed Lexa’s hand as she handed the microphone back to her assistant.

 

“You did well.” The beauty mark on her upper lip stretched as the smirk graced her lips.

 

“It’s pretty to think so, but I hate these things. I speak well because I have done it thousands of times, but in truth what I say has no meaning. People will drink. Some will buy. Others will not. I sincerely doubt my words make any difference other than lending an air of credibility to their drinking and posturing.”

 

“What matters is that it will give Aiden and the others a chance for a future.”

 

The brunette kissed the back of Clarke’s hand and smiled. “Time to work the room. Are you ready for this?”

 

The blonde shrugged her shoulders. “There are a lot of people on the invite list that knew the old me. I am curious if anyone guesses who I am.”

 

Lexa kissed her cheek. “You can be anyone you want. You don’t have to be Clarke Griffin.”

 

The blonde gulped, “I modified my first name. It didn’t occur to me to change my last.”

 

A soft smile played on Lexa’s lips as she pulled her insecure mate close. “I wouldn’t object to you changing it to Clarke Woods. Think about it. It’s your choice.”

Lexa laughed as her lover’s jaw worked furiously without producing a syllable. 

 

The blonde stood stuttering and sputtering in a happy glow.  The doctor whispered in her ear “No matter what you choose, I still choose you,” before quickly departing to visit with the nearest donor. 

 

The party guests gathered in small groups. Some discussed the varied canvases along the walls while others found the time to gossip about the other guests.

 

Abby ignored most of those around her. Instead, she felt drawn to the series of large colorful portraits. But, one captivated her beyond the others. In it, a man with his back to the audience stared into a mirrored reflection of a gorgeous blonde woman with bright blue eyes and cascading curls. For a moment she believed the woman to be an idealized symbol of beauty, but then she spotted the siren talking with Dr. Raven Reyes.

 

Abby inwardly cringed. Raven hadn’t spoken to her on friendly terms in a year. One moment she had been the younger doctor’s obsession then after Jake died and Clark self-destructed the latina’s infatuation had turned to loathing. She regretted that her son’s friend spurned all of her attempts at resolution. If it hadn’t been for her new friendship with Dr. Kane, the new head of oncology, she didn’t know who she could turn to in her grief. The man had been her rock. His first day on the job he had found her crying after scrubbing from surgery. The patient had been a John Doe that arrived in cardiac arrest due to an overdose. His physical characteristics resembled Clark. Like a knife sliding into her heart, the moment she had to call the time of death her mind connected it to the fact that she may never know if someone had done the same for her son. Kane convinced her to start therapy. A six month sabbatical from work allowed her to regain her sense of self along with countless hours of therapy. Recently she resumed her duties in the E.R., but it would take time before she stepped back into the role as the head of trauma surgery.

 

With one last glance at the happy younger doctor, she turned back to the painting before her.

  
  


***

 

The latina kamikaze hugged her old friend. “I’m glad you could make it, Rave. I thought that with you moving in with Anya this weekend that the two of you would be either unpacking or christening all your furniture.”

 

The latina blushed surprising Clarke. Raven had never been shy or embarrassed by anything. Ever. “Speaking of such things, where’s Anya?”

 

Raven shrugged her shoulders in exasperation. “We may or may not have argued this morning. I wanted to be here to support you and Lex in this charity. She disagreed and thought we did enough by helping Aiden with a job and a place to live. You know how she feels about speaking to actual people. She’s fine when she can bark orders, but holding a conversation with a fellow human that isn’t from her selected group of people is not going to happen.” The beta sighed in defeat. Tears welled in her eyes. “Is it really so much to ask for us to get dolled up and go out in public together? We’ve been together for six months, and I can count the number of real dates on one hand.”

 

“I’m pretty sure you could explain the problem like this.” Clarke held up to fingers and then curled it. 

 

Her friend punched her in the shoulder. “You may have lost your dick, but you can still be one.”

 

The two ladies laughed as one of the waiters face flushed red and left.

 

“Oops. Maybe Lex’s right. You and I shouldn’t be left in public unmonitored.”

 

Clarke’s grin grew larger at Raven’s words. “When did she say that?”

 

“I think it was when she was inviting Suarez and Sellers. Who knows if they’ll make it. They are over at Lexa’s private surgery comparing notes and discussing things with Aden so much they feel like friends, not the cops.” 

 

Clarke laughed and let her eyes searching the room for her alpha. She didn’t like being in this crowd with her on the other side of the room.

 

***

 

Abby had watched Dr. Reyes and the blonde talk for some minutes, debating whether she should say hello. The last time Raven and Abby had spoken Clark’s disappearance was recent. Both women had accepted his self-destruction. However, Raven had blamed Abby for his behavior. Raven had proved to her that Clark couldn’t live the life she had diligently planned out for him since birth. Grief had eaten her alive. She squeezed her eyes shut and blew a calming breath through her lips. The champagne and wine bustling through the room called to her, but she chose sobriety.

 

“Dr. Griffin? Hi, I’m Lexa Woods.”

 

The elegant long-haired woman held out a delicate hand. Abby gracefully shook the offered hand. And, then realized who had spoken. “This is your charity, isn’t it? I must admit the artwork is much better than I expected. I had been led to believe that all the work would be from your patients.”

 

Lexa’s shy grin made a brief appearance. “My patients did create the work. My mate, a former patient, made the best and largest of the canvases. She also tutored and mentored many of the others. Their skills improved with time and effort. While they healed from their surgeries, she taught them so that they had something they could do while convalescing.”

 

Abby examined the painting of the man and the mirror again. “You must be proud. Her work is amazing. Her use of light and color is phenomenal. I’ve never seen anything that moves me quite the way these do.”

 

The younger alpha turned her attention to the painting. Her eyes danced down the man’s back as it tapered toward a more feminine posterior. Every time she gazed at it, she noticed new details. She hated that Clarke chose this as one to sell.

 

“Really? That’s interesting.” Lexa schooled her features. She tried to hide her feelings. ‘If Clarke wants to reveal herself she can do it in her time, not mine.’

 

“Is she the woman responsible for this one?” Abby pointed at the nearby painting. “I find it interesting that we have a title for the work, but no artist listed when all the other list both.”

 

A light chuckle fell from full lips as Lexa looked over her shoulder. Her eyes met Clarke’s across the room before turning her back to Abby. “I wanted to make those tortured kids feel supported and wanted. Their kidnapping and time treated as little more than lab rats left them feeling devalued. My omega has been through a lot, but she doesn’t feel her struggle compares to theirs at all. She wanted to help them in any way she could. But, her name would either be a distraction or give the wrong impression that might have been one of their victims. She’d rather celebrate them tonight. She said she would have her day in the spotlight, but not today.”

 

“Hmm.  _ Finding Myself.  _ This is a beautiful painting with an odd title.” Lexa’s words processed through her thoughts. “Wait. Has your girlfriend suffered abuse? I have been going through therapy. If you need any suggestions, I would be glad to make some recommendations of who to see. If you don’t mind my asking, what’s she been through?”

 

The brunette watched Anya try to wave her away. “Apparently, I am needed elsewhere, but to answer your question. She used to be a man. Transitioning is a difficult and painful process. She had to leave her family behind because they rejected her.”

 

Horror and pain brushed across Abby’s face before absorbing back into her stoic beauty. “I hate that for her. But, I think I made a similar mistake with my son. He disappeared into drugs instead. My insistence that I knew what was best for him drove him away.”

 

An irritated tug on Lexa’s sleeve had her turning to meet Anya. “The Kennedy family representative wants to talk to you. Go schmooze. Raven and I will take over here.” One golden brown eyebrow arched in response, then she pursed her lips and sighed.

 

“Forgive me. I have to go suck up a little. It was very nice getting to know you, doctor. Hopefully next time we meet it will be a little less rushed.” 

 

Abby felt the honesty in her words as Dr. Woods disappeared into the crowd. 

 

“Dr. G.”

 

Abby braced herself for another rightfully earned haranguing. Raven wrapped her arms around the woman shocking her. 

 

“I hate how we left things. How have you been?”

 

Clarke’s mother felt a tear escape as she smiled at her son’s old friend. “I’ve been in therapy. I’m trying to make peace with myself. It’s been difficult.” She held onto Raven’s hands and took a step back. “But, how are you? You are positively glowing. And, who’s this?”

 

The latina wrapped an arm around the slender woman next to her. “Anya Woods. This is Dr. Abigail Griffin. Abby meet Anya Woods, my alpha, my mate.”

 

“Happiness looks good on you, Raven. I am so glad you have been able to move on with your life.” The tight lines around Abby’s eyes told a different story; she hadn’t been as lucky.

 

“How is the hospital? I understand you have returned to work. Since I have moved over to work with Dr. Woods on the reconstruction surgeries, I don’t see myself returning to a traditional hospital anytime soon.”

 

Abby shrugged. “Hard to say. I have only been working a week or two. It’s work. Dr. Kane has been a nice distraction, but we haven’t begun to date yet. He wants me to be ready, and we both know that I haven’t let go of my mistakes with my son. Until I can forgive myself a little, I can’t begin to take my life back.”  

 

Raven and Anya locked eyes. Abby watched on in confusion. The two women must have agreed without words because Anya hesitantly nodded. “I will go get us some refreshments. I will be right back.”

 

Abby turned again to look at the canvas. 

 

“You seem taken with this one.”

 

“I am. I put in a generous bid for it. I don’t know why but I need this one.” 

 

Raven stepped closer and put an arm around the shaken woman. Abby appeared diminished as if she fought to maintain the strength to stand. “Why?”

“He looks so much like Clark. I know we can only see a tiny profile of the face, but I swear that’s my son. The painting is beautiful. God, I miss him. I think about all the things I said and did to him, and I can’t help wondering why he never fought me. He told me what he wanted and needed, but I wanted him to be the man Jake should have been. My poor baby. Did you understand who he was Raven?” Silent tears left mascara streaks down her face.

 

“I’m not sure what you are asking?”

 

Anya slipped in next to Raven and handed her a glass of wine. “I brought a glass for you as well. I hope you like red.”

 

Abby blushed and ducked her head. “I’m afraid I have to turn it down. I have been sober for almost four months next Tuesday. As much as I would love to drink that, I couldn’t stop at one. Thank you for the thought.” 

 

Anya handed her a napkin as she pointed to the tear stain on her cheeks.

 

“Oh. Thanks. I am going to head to the ladies to see if I can repair this.”

  
  


***

 

Abby washed most of her remaining eye makeup off in the sink. Then, she began to dob at the remains to remove the black smudges. Satisfied with her work she reapplied her lipstick and leaned closer into the mirror. In doing so, she suddenly noticed the beautiful blonde leaning against the wall watching her work. Blue eyes met hazel.

 

Clarke didn’t move. She allowed Abby a moment to discover her presence.

 

“You must be Dr. Woods’s mate. Hi, I’m Dr. Abigail Griffin.” She crossed the ten-foot space of the powder room until she could see the navy flecks in the sky blue eyes. She froze mid-step about three feet from the stranger. 

 

“I” She paused. “Baby? Clark?”

 

A huge grin blossomed. “You do know me?”

 

Her mother's arms encircled the blonde and squeezed tightly ignoring how the body in her arms stiffened. “How could I not?”  She whispered in a soft but trembling breath.

 

A moment passed between them, but the hurt long since buried began to well to surface causing Clarke to detach from the embrace. “A hug isn’t going to fix this. I am not even sure if there is anything that can be repaired between us. You had me ‘cured’ by that monster. You injected me with an illegal hormone to make me your great alpha. You rejected everything I ever said I was. You pushed me too far. I have come a long way. I have learned to love myself. All you ever taught me was that I wasn’t good enough?”

 

Abby gulped audibly. “I know. I’m sorry. I can’t change the past.”

 

A malicious laugh fell from painted pink lips. “You couldn’t make me into the man you wanted. Nor, the doctor. Hell, I couldn’t be the alpha. Why the fuck would you be interested in me at all? Those things stayed paramount my whole life.  You stopped being my mother and became my warden, remember?  What’s changed?  Now that I am me it’s easier to allow me some decency?”

 

“I’m happy you are alive. I’m ecstatic that for the first time in your adult life you look happy, content. It took losing you and a very angry Raven to realize what I had done. I know I can’t make it up to you-”

  
  


“No mother, I am done with you.  I am sorry but I just don’t see a reason to try.  Enjoy the party or leave, do whatever you want, but this conversation is over.”

 

Abby watched her beloved child exit the room extinguishing the little flame of hope that had ignited.

  
  
  
  



	2. The Greatest Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath for Clarke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not promising how often I will publish but I shooting for at least once a week. The muse isn't cooperating very much. Life is being even less so.
> 
> Thank you for the support.

Clarke stalked out the bathroom frantically looking for her alpha. Her desperation poured off her body alerting Anya and Raven right away as they had been waiting for the blonde outside the door. Neither knew that Abby Griffin sat in a corner weeping for the family she’d lost.  
  
  
“Oh great, something happened in there, and now Clarke’s looking way off kilter than for my liking,”  Raven spoke her thoughts, hearing no response from her mate she nudged the alpha on the side.  
  
  
“What?”  Growling through her teeth, more annoyed than when she entered the party.  
  
  
“Damn it, focus.  Clarke’s not good.  Go tell your cousin we are taking her home.”  
  
  
“Seriously?  I just got here, and now you want to go home?  Make up your mind.”  
  
  
“CLARKE is not okay.”  Glaring into Anya’s dull eyes, she waited for the dots to connect.  
  
  
“Why is it you are only stupid when you stand beside me? You are a genius at work. Beyond brilliant in the boardroom, but standing with your mate who has a dear friend and your future sister-in-law in full-blown distress and you make lite-brite pegs look like a lighthouse beacon in comparison.”  
  
  
“Maybe because every second I am around you I want to be inside you?”  
  
  
Raven can’t prevent the eye roll. “I am a big fan of riding you like a cowgirl and think about it 99.9% of the time, but it doesn’t change the fact that we have a damsel in need to deal with right now.” She enunciated the last three words in slow motion as if Anya was a toddler.  
  
  
“So you think about sex less than me?  That’s no surprise, you are constantly on my mind, in my dreams, on your knees, under the desk, in my meetings....”  
  
  
The beta popped her mate across the arm. “Could you fucking tell Lexa we are leaving or you and I won’t be fucking anytime soon. Did you understand that one?” Exasperation dripped from each word. “Sometimes you are so hopelessly alpha. God, help us.”  
  
  
“Thank god you aren’t an omega. Otherwise, there would be no hope.”  
  
  
“Fine. Take Clarke to the car. I will track down Lexa and pass the message. Alphas...why did I have to pick an alpha. What was I thinking?” Raven angrily stomped away.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Lexa wanted to accompany them home but thanked Raven because she knew her duties wouldn’t allow her to leave. Clarke’s silent figure sat hunched in the back seat leaning on the door. She stared out into the night unseeing and quiet.  
  
  
As soon as the front door opened, she excused herself to the upstairs forgetting to thank her friends.  
  
  
 Anya wrapped an arm around Raven’s waist. “I suggest you retract it if you intend it to stay attached. Bad puppy.” She peeled the alpha’s arm off of her and went into the kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of water, she marched up the stairs to find Clarke leaving a stunned mate behind.  
  
  
“Clarke, honey, I brought you water.” She spoke to a closed bedroom door. No response.  
  
  
She knocked twice. “You know as well as I do that if this door doesn’t open quickly, I will bring it down. I might be forced to use Anya as a battering ram, but I am not above it. Keep that in mind. Her sex addled brain isn’t much use in this situation anyhow.”  
  
  
“Leave the water and go away, Raven. I don’t want you in here.” The blonde huffed through the thick door. Anger and resentment pumped from her body. The beta sat the water down and backed against the wall behind her.  
  
  
  
“You don’t get to be pissy with me. Whatever sent you off the rails has nothing to do with me. I didn’t let you ruin the gala for the kids which you wouldn’t have wanted. So, open the goddamn door.”  Growling through a strained jaw, she was already anticipating the feel of wood splintering under her foot.  
  
  
“Go fuck your alpha!”    
  
  
With Clarke’s senseless response, Raven flung herself forward but was pulled back into powerful arms,  “Easy.”  Anya’s breath tickled over her neck as her scent pacified the fury burning in her chest.  “She’s not your responsibility anymore, just a stubborn friend.”  A small struggle ensued, but the alpha continued to assert herself.  “Listen to me.”  Her voice was commanding but remained soft,  “She belongs to Lexa and Lexa will deal with her as needed.  Clarke is safe; you got her home.”  
  
  
“Fine.”  Disgruntled but relaxed Raven yielded turning in her mate’s arms.  “Something isn’t right. The first night with so many familiar faces in a room-- I swear if someone hurt her…”    
  
  
Lacing her fingers through the messy locks, she tucked the beta’s head into her chest,  “I know, but Clarke isn’t going to cave because someone stepped on her toes.  You know she isn’t the same person.  Just let her decompress for now.”    
  
  
***  
  
  
Clarke’s barricaded herself in your room.  I would wrap up the pleasantries and get here ASAP.  
  
  
Gritting her teeth, she weaved her way through the late night traffic.  Her mind already thinking the worst,  ‘She wasn’t ready, I shouldn’t have allowed her to socialize yet.’  Internally cursing herself, she flicked on her turn signal and cut across four lanes to exit the freeway.    
  
  
Pressing her thumb to the fingerprint scanner on the front door, she waited for the lock to disengage.  Cage’s break in necessitated an update in security measures and with Nia still at large, Lexa wasn’t taken any chances.  Only her pack had access. Any tampering of the system resulted in a complete lock-down of the premises until cleared by C-Sec’s tactical team.  Annoying when it came to false alarms, but damn near perfect for protection if a real event happened.  
  
  
A few lights flicker on upon entry; another perk she enjoyed about the system.  The central living space was empty, considering the lateness of her arrival she assumed Anya and Raven had taken to the guest room upstairs.  Making her journey short, she sprinted up the stairs, surprised to see two huddled across from her bedroom door.    
  
  
Lifting her head slightly, Anya gave a tired smile,  “I couldn’t convince her to leave, but I did prevent her from knocking down the door.”  She whispered.  
  
  
“Thank you for bringing her home.  I am sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.”  Guilt drained from her breath.  “I’ll take it from here.  You can stay the night if Raven insists, otherwise feel free to leave when you two are ready.”  
  
  
“I just got her to sleep. I would be a moron to wake her up now.  A dead moron if she wakes in her bed without knowing Clarke’s okay.”    
  
  
“I guess I will see you both for breakfast then?”  
  
  
“Burnt bacon, slightly soggy waffles, oh yeah, see you there, Cuz.”  She nodded scooping Raven into her arms.  “Good luck with yours,  Clarke has been pacing for hours.  Something has her really worked up, and the sweet disposition is non-existent.”  
  
  
“Great.”   Flicking open the small panel under the knob she keyed in an override code.    
  
***  
  
Clarke’s rage chewed on her stomach. Twice in the last half hour, she had sprinted to vomit into the toilet. She hated that her mother could still reek this level of havoc on her nerves. The woman abused her for her entire life. At birth when the doctors informed her mother that her son had alpha and omega glands, she had chosen for them to suppress the omega. When he aged and his alpha hormones proved weak, she took him to Mt. Weather for experimental therapy. Clarke shuddered at remembering the treatments at the hands of Dante Wallace. Did her mother know about the aversion therapy, the electroshocks, the beatings when he submitted? Clarke punched the wall and howled. Why can’t I leave him behind? Clark is dead. I blossomed from his corpse. Why can’t I let him go?  
  
She held her injured hand in her lap and crumpled on the floor sobbing relentlessly. “Lexa, where are you? I need you?” Her pheromones faded over from blind loathing to despair. A tinge of helplessness leaked into the mix.  
  
  
Fatigue and achy muscles forced her to move from the floor to the bed. Loneliness haunted her thoughts. ‘Where is my alpha? Shouldn’t she be home by now?’ Then, she mentally chided herself for selfishness. ‘Those kids deserve all the attention tonight’s fundraiser will gain them. Tonight isn’t about me.’  But, somewhere in her heart, she felt like it should have been. She had suffered. She had lost her life and spent a lot of it in a cage only to be rescued by Lexa. How is she not one of them?  
  
***  
  
Choking on an indecipherable mix of pheromones, Lexa turned back to gather a fresh breath before closing the door.  ‘Clarke.’  She approached the tangled mess of sheets and silk cautious to avoid startling the ticking time bomb.    
  
  
She felt her wolf pacing inside her head growling out its demands, Clarke was way out of line.  Regardless of what happened, she needed to be put in her place and handle whatever it was, responsibly.    
  
  
Letting out a sigh, she pressed her palm to the blonde’s cheek and soothed over the clenched jawline.  Focusing on calming her mate, she watched her scent take effect as the tense muscles relaxed.  “Hey.”  A tired smile pulled at the pale lips.  
  
  
“Hey yourself, want to talk about it?”  Lexa’s tone was gentle even with the wolf howling over her thoughts.  
  
  
“No. I don’t.”  Anger poured from her skin as she pulled back from Lexa’s caress.  “Why can’t everyone just let me be mad?  Why do I have to explain myself when I don’t even know how to process my thoughts?  I am not some fragile little girl.  Certainly not that brute of a man anymore, but does that mean I have to trade one extreme for another?”  Scoffing her question she shoved herself from Lexa’s reach.    
  
  
A sharp snort of irritation vibrated down her spine,  “Clarke, I just want to know you are okay.”  
  
  
“Do I look okay to you?”  Raw red eyes were barely noticeable behind the sleep-matted hair.    
  
  
“Fine, will you be okay?”  She bit back the growl and fought to keep a calm head, but she knew Clarke was pressing all the right buttons for a reaction.  
  
  
Slamming her hands onto the bed,  “Sure, I’ll be okay.”  Scooting off the bed, she started to stomp away.  
  
  
“Clarke… were you going to tell me you doubled up because you missed a dose?”  Lexa didn’t need to see her omega halt in place.  
  
  
“Don’t say another word.”    
  
  
“The room smells unusually strong and while I am not discounting your anger; you aren’t one to fall to pieces, even if you had a run in with your mother.  No, not my Clarke.  She’s strong.  Bold. Brave.  Overwhelmed with emotions and scared, she wouldn’t be cruel.  All that cruelty she suffered would never be used against anyone else.  No one should ever feel the way you did living inside that shell, not even the woman who built the cage you were stuck in.”  Each word grew louder with the alpha’s proximity.  “Had I known, I wouldn’t have let you out of my sight.  You and your mother deserve better than this.”  
  
  
“She can rot for all I care.”  Spitting out her resentment, she felt Lexa pull her back against her chest trapping her in her arms.  
  
  
“Enough.”  Huffing into Clarke’s ear, she held on tight.  “I’m not leaving you, not ever.  So stop pushing me away and let me be here for you.”  
  
  
The omega crumpled into her alpha’s arms allowing her to be her support. “How did you know my mother is why I am upset?”  
  
  
“Educated guess.” When Lexa tried to link their fingers, Clarke hissed in pain. “And, it looks like someone lost their temper more than I thought. Hmm.” She tenderly checked the bones in her woman’s hand. “We need to x-ray this. You may have broken a bone or two.”  
  
  
“Can it wait for morning? I want to sleep more first. We are both exhausted.”  
  
  
Lexa couldn’t help but find it adorable the way her omega buried her nose in her neck seeking comfort. She carried them back to the bed and lay down. After pulling up the covers with one hand, she waited until Clarke got into a comfortable position before tightening her arms around her lover.  
  
  
“Before sleep retakes you I need to tell you something. I need you to listen with your heart and your ears. In the morning you can advise me on what I should do. Okay?”  
  
  
“Okay.”  
  
  
“When I first left you to work the room I came across your mother staring at your favorite of your self-portraits, the one that you said was important to donate. Without knowing who you were, she talked about her regrets and the mistakes she had made. She spoke with reverence about her dead child. What I didn’t know at the time is that she had put in a bid for that painting. Her bid said she would pay 1000 more than anyone else’s offer no matter the number. I’m not going to force you to interact with her, but she does feel pain and anguish at what she did to you. Technically, her bid won the auction; however, I can disqualify it based on the fact that it wasn’t a cash amount. Do you want her to have your painting? It’s that simple.”  
  
  
Lexa’s neck grew wet with tears as she spoke. She knew her words would be hard to hear. She hoped they helped bring peace and comfort to the most fragile person she knew.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Coffins of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not entirely pleased with this one, but I am hoping it will get better as we go. Some of the characters are just not cooperating the way they should. I am sure my headspace isn't helping it either, but I also hope that by getting through this chapter I can make the story begin to move.

The morning sun brought a painful clarity. Clarke woke in her alpha’s arms surrounded by the strong scent of comfort. She had no idea how long Lexa filled the room with her hormones, but she knew from the fatigue shining in the emerald orbs that her mate had barely slept.

  
  


Clark rolled backward, so that snow angels appeared where spoons had rested. Turning to her side, she flattened her palm on Lexa’s sternum before placing her head above her alpha’s heart. The steady thrum calmed her more than anything else. She appreciated many things about her lover: her strength, her intelligence, her heart and her amazing respect. Above everything else, Lexa sought never to make her mate feel inferior. The woman didn’t treat them as inconsequential, weak, pathetic or trivial; she revered them.

  
  


The blonde pressed her lips to her mate’s skin. “Thank you for all you did last night. I know you feel like you failed me because you couldn’t be the one to comfort me or take me home. But, seeing my first true showcase through to the bitter end matters more than I would like to admit.” She paused to gather her thoughts as long fingers play with her unruly curls. “You asked me if Abby can buy my painting. And, I think I do want her to have it. She will have a constant reminder of the son she failed to love. Take her money, but tell her that she isn’t my mother. I am not a Griffin, not anymore. I’m not 100% I ever was because people love and accept their family members for who they are. I can’t say that about her.” Her alpha sighed beneath her.

  
  


“Does this mean you have picked a new last name?” 

  
  


A tinge of anxiety burned the omega’s nose. “Calm yourself, Lex. Can we have a marriage without a wedding?”  

  
  


The wolf inside Lexa’s head howled its happiness. “We could always elope. We could spend a week or two on one of those secluded cabins in the Maldives where waves are absent, and clothing is optional.”

  
  


Clarke surged upward and straddled her lover. Although melancholy still weighed heavily at the edges, her smile lit the room. “That sounds wonderful, but I thought you said you have too much to do to take any time off for the next few months.

  
  


Lexa’s delight waned then soured. Their new programs did require her attention. Anya’s lack of medical expertise meant that she couldn’t leave. Raven assisted with the victims but had no interest in doing the biomedical research they conducted. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I should have considered my work calendar before offering. I apologize for my callousness.”

  
  


The alpha regretted her words and closed her eyes trying not to let her own emotions wreck the room further. Clarke’s hormones held enough misery for the two of them. 

  
  


“What if,” perfect breasts pressed against Lexa’s smaller ones as Clarke captured her lips, “What if we had a small civil ceremony now and then took our honeymoon when it would fit in your schedule?”

  
  


“I think I could live with that.” 

  
  


Clarke’s cell phone hummed loudly from the bureau top across the room. Soon, Lexa’s joined.

  
  


***

 

Sellers flipped her blond hair out of her face and rubbed her eyes. Her barefoot brushed Suarez leg where she had fallen asleep at her kitchen table. The two women had been combing through recovered Mount Weather files.

 

Though most of the patient names had been reduced to an alphanumeric designation that they had lost hope of cracking, occasionally the interview notes provided names. 

 

“Ter.”  She used her cold toes on a warm calf to rouse her. 

 

“Hmm. This better be good. That dream beat the crap out of paper cuts and migraines.”

 

“I think we finally have a patient we can identify.”

 

Teresa Suarez straightened her back and stretched. A large yawn stretched her lips as she blinked her eyes trying to bring her brain back online. “Let me make some coffee while you explain.”

 

Fatigued but content, Meagan watched her partner fill the coffeemaker. They both waited for that blissful moment that the aroma would override the moldy stench of old records. “Ok. Give me the details and then who you think it is.”

  
  


She turned the file around for Suarez to see the faded, smoke-damaged paper. 

 

**_Subject:_ **

**_AJHG2-06-Beta female and weak alpha partner want to do gene therapy to guarantee a male alpha child._ **

 

“That is one of the important details, but flip over to this page.”

  
  


**_Beta female returned after the child was born.  Male child has both the Alpha and Omega glands. Treatment will be necessary to prevent a weak alpha presentation like his father’s. Mother has also opted in for her own therapy. She has requested the pheromone replicator._ **

 

“And, try this page.”

 

**_Male child struggles at age 5 with submissive behaviors. Injections into his gland should stimulate his gland to operate at above normal levels. One cause for concern, while the boy was left alone in the playroom he chose to play the princess dolls. He cried when his mother arrived. She berated the child for his socially inappropriate choice. Abby continues to have serious doubts about Jake’s offspring. She fears the paternal family will step in and assume control. If I weren’t already familiar with the abuses of his grandfather, I would have convinced her to accept her child’s natural disposition. Notes for prenatal dept.--As a doctor, she is concerned that the prenatal injections may have had adverse effects on the gestation of her child. Would this explain the boy’s dysphoria?_ **

 

**_At fifteen, subject’s anger continues to escalate with therapy yet when confronted by strong alpha scent glands, he submits without struggle. Subject suffers from bouts of severe depression. His mother returned him to us terrified. Subject is too stay out of the digital files. The G. Clan took custody of the boy kidnapping him from his school. When he returned the boy had been beaten severely. Rumor has it that unless C. produces an heir by 20, he will be passed over for the family fortune._ **

  
  


**_At 22, subject’s body shows signs of chemical dependence on Alphatest. He suffered a psychotic break when injections ceased. Discussing possibility of a slow progression of weaning._ **

  
  


“Have you checked to see if the dates line up with Griffin’s school attendance records?”

 

Sellers sly smirk showed her lack of surprise at Suarez coming to the same conclusion.

 

“It did. Jake lost his claim to the family fortune when Clarke turned 19. Granddaddy got caught laundering dirty money. The old man spent his fortune on lawyers. Lost anyway. Old bastard put a hit out on his son too. He claimed Jake embarrassed him.”

 

Suarez handed over a cup of coffee to Sellers. “So, do I understand this correctly that Abigail Griffin was not an alpha? And, that she allowed herself to be used in an experiment?”

 

“Yes. But, if you knew Jacob Griffin, Sr. you would know that she probably was given little choice. Someone or something she cared about had to have been threatened. No mother chooses to be a lab rat unless all other avenues are lost.”

  
  


Both women drank their coffees in digesting their thoughts. “What else is in that file?”

 

“Too much to ignore. I think Clarke needs to know that a lot of the things she did earlier in her life may have been outside of her control.”

 

Suarez’s eyes bored into Sellers. “We don’t normally give victims access to this kind of information.”

 

The blonde shrugged. “Maybe we should stop thinking so much about her being a victim and think more about what we would want to know ourselves if we were the lab rat in question.”

  
  


***

  
  


Anya slammed the pan unmercilessly on the stove. “When I mentioned soggy pancakes, I believed I would be eating them not making them,” the whine fell from her lips, but Raven continued to drink Pepto Bismol from the bottle and shrugged. 

  
  


“I don’t care. Everything I’ve smelled in the last few days has made my stomach flip. Today, it’s worse.” 

  
  


Anya flipped a pancake in time to see Raven sprinting from the room. “Hey, if you eat something it might settle your stomach. It worked yesterday.” She yelled toward the restroom. 

  
  


The alpha had tried emitting calming aromas two days ago; she had received a lap full of half-digested donut as a result. Opening the refrigerator, she grabbed the bacon and then her brain kicked in--eggs would be better. Anya stepped into the living room and listened. Upstairs everything remained still. She shrugged and continued with cooking.

  
  


In a few minutes, the beta reentered the kitchen. “ I thought I had missed picking up that stomach virus, but I think I might have caught it after all.” 

  
  


The alpha flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and turned to look at her beta. “I’m telling you that I would feel better if you let someone check you out. This isn’t normal. You’ve been sick off and on for two weeks. Sometimes you wake up nauseous; sometimes it's a smell.”

  
  


Raven rolled her eyes. “No. You don’t--” The backdoor thumped open announcing Aden’s presence before he arrived.

 

“You see. I don’t know. I was never at Mt. Weather. But, I heard rumors. You might want to ask someone who was treated there like Clarke.”

 

Suarez’s voice curled around the corner. “You are certain that Clarke went to Weather off and on her whole life?”

  
  


“Yeah. She told me. When she and I paint together, we share bits of our stories. It’s a type of therapy for both of us. Sometimes we paint what we feel and burn it. It helps rid us of what Clarke calls our old skins.”

  
  


“Thanks.” 

  
  


The muffled voices continued down the hallway into the kitchen.  Aden stuck his nose in first. “Hi. Miss Woods, do you know when Miss Woods and Clarke will be coming down?” He wiggled his fingers at Raven in a very unorthodox greeting.

 

The detective sidestepped him and walked into the room. “Please tell me you have enough to share. I haven’t been to bed yet, and dinner was 4 pm yesterday.God, that smells great.”

 

Raven sprinted out of the room.

  
  


Anya quirked an eyebrow. “I think my mate disagrees.”

  
  


“When did you two find out she’s pregnant?” The happy question met with cold silence.

  
  


“What?”

  
  


“She’s nauseous at the smell of her favorite food. She’s been tired every time I have spoken to her for a few weeks, and her scent is a little odd. Yep. She’s pregnant. Wait, she’s a doctor and y'all didn’t know?” The detective's eyes flew wide as she burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. “Oh, you two are so incredibly dim when it comes to each other. If she’s in the room, your brain doesn’t work. When you're in the room, nothing and no one else matters but you. You two are so freaking hopeless.”

  
  


Less green than when she left, Raven stomped in and sat on a stool at the breakfast bar. “I am NOT pregnant. I can’t be. We’ve been careful.”

  
  


“We have since when?” 

  
  


Raven glared at her idiot and moved a finger to her lips in the universal command to shut up. “I’m a doctor. I would notice the signs if I were pregnant. It’s not like my boobs are sore, and--”

  
  


“Is that why you wouldn’t let me squeeze them last night?”

  
  


Raven tossed the coaster at her elbow like a throwing star at her mate. “Would you fucking hush? I’m not pregnant.”

  
  


Aden stage-whispered. “Sounds like denial. I’m going to go hide before this gets ugly. They’re all yours detective.”

 

The three women exchanged glances. 

 

“I’m not pregnant. Now, detective if you have some other reason to be here other than ruining my morning, I suggest you get on with it.” 

 

  
Suarez shrugged, “If you say so I guess I will take your word for it.” The words spilling from her mouth didn’t match “Any idea on when Clarke’s going to make an appearance? She’s the reason I’m here.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Dusting off the Old Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby and Raven have an interesting conversation. We learn some of Abby's reasoning behind her choices. Lex and Clarke are learning to function together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I keep saying, I can't promise how often I will be updating. My muse has been an inconstant bitch of late. And, Xevn and I are rewriting an SQ story that we started last year that needed an overhaul. Thank you for the kudos and comments.

Abby Griffin sat alone at the bar. Kane had followed her like an anxious intern all day grating on her last nerve. Never again would she confide in the man. He had tried to make her jealous by flirting with one of her interns. Sadly, her attentions had been eclipsed by her dead child, not another lover. Shaking her head at life’s incongruities, she signaled the barkeep for another. Her mind taunted her with the images of a beautiful blonde woman that had emerged from the destruction of her wastrel son.

 

She had longed to hear his laughter or see his smile every day since his disappearance. If someone had asked when she realized he was gone for good it was the day the detectives returned his cellphone and wallet. She had expected that these along with his body had been found in a drug den. Instead, a homeless child had given them to a mounted police officer near the lake where Jake had taught Clark to fish.

 

The hint of vanilla swirled in something darker along her tongue; mahogany colored the flavor of her bourbon. Sobriety quit feeling necessary the moment she knew Clarke didn’t want to be hers any longer. Even now she rejoiced that her child lived knowing that she would no longer be anyone’s mother. She squeezed her eyes closed eliminating tears; self-control had been easy until she lost everything that mattered.

 

Abby timidly entered the mansion. Her husband had patted her hand and told her that she had been summoned to see her father-in-law. Newly promoted and even more recently wed, Dr. Abigail Griffin drowned in student loans and insecurity. ‘How did I manage to marry this far above my station?’

 

“I don’t like to be kept waiting.” The older man’s voice spirited through the thick oak doors.

 

She entered without knocking since he apparently knew of her arrival. “You asked to speak to me, sir.” Timid, but forceful the beta held her ground in front of his massive desk.

 

“Respectful, but not a pushover. My son chose better than I expected. Now, sit down. We have much to discuss starting with my son.”

 

She turned to look at the two chairs facing the desk, but then she saw a softer chair to the immediate left of his space. Surprising both of them, she chose to sit closer and less formally rather than face the bull of a man from across his desk.

 

She smoothed her skirt and sat primly in the chair that evidently had been his wife’s.  

 

“Smart, too. Good. By now you’ve realized that my son is the worst kind of alpha. He dreams big and spends big, but at the end of the day, he accomplishes nothing. Every business deal of his has been a gamble. Few have turned a profit. Understand this, and you and I will have no problems; you have one job. You must provide an alpha male heir. Your child will inherit my holdings and everything that I am entitled because my son will squander it. To protect my legacy, I have to sacrifice my son. If you fail, the money will be passed to another branch.”

 

Nervously playing with the tips of her hair, Abby glanced from the floor into angry silver-blue eyes. “Will there be any allowance for your son along the way, or am I to have to carry him as my burden? I do love him. If you truly cast him aside, he will be mine anyway. I didn’t marry Jake for the money. However, when I said I do I didn’t know about his gambling problem.”

 

She gulped in air trying to steady her voice. Agitation could not bleed into this conversation. She had seen the knuckle marks on Jake’s cheeks before. She knew the risk and the price of showing emotion in this house.

 

“Hey, Abby. I thought you weren’t drinking anymore.” Dr. Reyes plopped unceremoniously on the stool beside her former boss and saving her from her reverie.

 

Age had been more than fair to Abby, but despair had rewarded her with crow’s feet and laugh lines.  Raven dropped her hand on top of Abby’s and squeezed. “I know what Clarke said, but I think in time she will change her mind.”

 

“Clarke’s always been so stubborn.”

 

“That’s true. But, unlike the old version, this one is happy. She loves people and life. Her paintings are nearly always semi-candid images of people she’s seen. I know for a fact she’s painted more than one of you. I know she acts like she hates you; she doesn’t. But, she’s furious at all the things you put her through, and yet you refused to see what she tried to tell you.”

 

Amber eyes filled with tears that refused to fall. “My son was a prisoner in his home off and on for years. From the moment he was conceived until the moment he disappeared, I fought tooth and nail to make him the alpha his grandfather required. My son hated every minute of it. I let them inject my son over and over. Who does that?”

 

Raven held up two fingers for the bartender who soon brought both the ladies another bourbon. They drank companionably in silence, lost in thought.

 

“I took a pregnancy test today. This morning I was so incredibly worried that I might be. Anya and I are newly mated we aren’t ready. But, now that I have my results I am crushed that I am not. I guess sometimes we want the best of both worlds.”

 

“Being a beta means that you can get pregnant, but you know Jake and I struggled to get pregnant. Dante Wallace helped us. Jake’s dad had recommended him. And, then I found out that he was making sure his heir was what he wanted. I nearly walked away then. Jake and I could have been happy without children. Or, maybe we would have conceived anyway, but once that door was open… Clarke had synthetic hormones pumped into him since before his birth. I am blessed that he was healthy. But, I cannot tell you how many times I wished I had walked away and let my child develop without interference. Who knows? Maybe Clarke is what she should have been if no one had tried to play God.”

 

The latina sighed. “There’s no way of knowing what would have happened. Were you privy to everything they were doing?”

 

“That’s a loaded question. Did I ask thousands of questions? Yes. Did I really understand what they were doing? I don’t think so. I only heard what I needed to so that my son would have an easier life and look at what I did to him to get it.God, I am such a monster.

  
  
  
  


***

 

Monday Night

  
  


Lexa shuffled through the door minutes before midnight. The scent of dinner lingered in the air. Although the kitchen had been thoroughly cleaned, a plate with a tuna steak mashed potatoes and her favorite brussel sprouts cooked with bacon sat on the island. The glass next to the wine bottle had a bright red lipstick print on the side.

 

“Shit. I forgot to call.”

 

***

  
  


Tuesday Night

 

Lexa stood at the head of the table in the boardroom. She peered at the clock on the wall. She had told Clarke she would be home by 8 and 10:35 glared back at her. “Gentleman, I need you to appreciate what we are trying to do. The product helps reactivate nerve endings. Think of all the people that have crushed discs in there back, burn victims and yes, sexual reassignment victims who have lost feeling. It doesn’t matter if it’s there toes, nose or dick, everyone has the right to feel. We’ve been given the green light. We have a volunteer from that suffered severe neck and back injury from a motorcycle accident last year. But, I need your approval to do the procedure tomorrow. He has signed the waiver, but there are risks involved.”

 

Nathan Miller stood from his seat. “It isn’t that we don’t trust you, but with the experiments you have provided, we aren’t sure that we are ready to move forward with human trials. Why are you rushing this?”

 

The CEO turned her back to the board and wandered over to the wall of glass and looked out at the glowing moon. “Why you ask. Did you ever talk to the wreckage Cage left behind? Less than a quarter of those kids have their life back completely. If this worked, it would mean over half of them could have a normal life. This happened on my watch. It is my responsibility to fix it.”

  
  


***

 

Wednesday Night

 

Clarke painted. Lost in the dance of color and movement, her brushes leaped across the canvas of their own accord. Large and cumbersome, the stretched white block dissolved into blue, green and red. Soon flesh tones and yellow followed. The scene captured the angry mirth of her students during their recovery phase. Aden’s long and lithe figure stretched with a ballerina’s grace.

 

Winded and sated, she cleaned the drips fo color from every surface. The blonde omega returned her tools to their proper place before turning off the lights for the night. The clock read 1 a.m. as she burritoed herself in the blankets and tried to ignore the emptiness from the other side.

 

***

 

Thursday Night/ Friday Morning 1:58 a.m.

 

Lexa’s favorite Canadian bacon and feta pizza sat boxed and cold on the island. Not too long ago, she enjoyed the quiet stillness of her house, but right now it felt like a mausoleum.

 

Worry stroked the edges of her mind as her alpha paced. Inhaling, she sought the scent of her mate.

 

She left the kitchen, crossed the living room and took the stairs two at a time. She breathed a sigh of relief at the closed and locked door. Using her print and code, the door swung open to reveal an unused room.

 

“Clarke?”  She called. She flipped on the lights to the bathroom.

 

Panic latched onto her heart. She retreated the down the hall checking each room as she went. Exasperated and verging on desperate she threw open the door to Clarke’s studio. The blonde snored peacefully from the battered couch in the corner. She tenderly rubbed the smear of blue paint from the sleeping woman’s cheek.

 

Azure eyes blinked open.  The tentative smile fell from her lips at the downtrodden woman before her.

 

“Hey,” her sleepy voice rasped out.

 

Clarke sought eye contact with her alpha kneeling next to her, but storms swirled in the irises keeping the blonde at bay. “What happened, baby?”

 

Lexa’s lips moved, but no sound came. Rivers of tears flooded her cheeks. Once the worst of the pain had been excised, she breathed deeply and cleared her throat.

 

“We did a test surgery on Isis yesterday. She had a fever this morning. By lunchtime the infection spread to her bloodstream. She died of sepsis a little more than an hour ago. I failed that girl.”

 

The weight of the alpha’s emotions stilled the omega’s lips. She pressed her nose into the soft spot behind Lexa’s ear and hummed quietly as she enveloped the fatigued doctor in her arms.

 

“No one can save everyone. But, you have helped so many.” Pale fingers entwined with tanned. “Let’s head to our bed. You can tell me more about it if you want to, or we can just be together. No pressure.” She flipped off the lights and led the way, the soft patting of her feet comforted pacing of the wolf in the alpha’s head.’  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. A Life Deferred

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you aren't interested in the plot, this chapter won't mean much to you. However, I will forewarn you it is not a happy chapter. More Abby/Clarke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for taking awhile. Xevn is in the middle of moving and I am recovering from surgery on my left wrist. Do you know how difficult it is to think while on hydrocodone? Do you know how difficult it is to type fast enough to keep up with your thoughts when only one hand works? I hope to get back to speed soon, but this is making me crazy.

In the grey light of early morning, the omega wrapped around her alpha letting the tears wipe away the horrors of her day. Lexa had lost few patients in her time with Clarke, yet the malpractice of Dr. Wallace caused all of them. But, today’s loss, Isis, hit harder. The girl had fought all odds to survive this far. The nerves in her face and throat had been badly damaged through experimentation followed by severe infection. The CEO wanted to give the girl back the life she deserved. Instead, she cried until exhaustion won.

  


Clarke wove her fingers through dark tresses, detangling and straightening as she went. Using her fingers to send comfort through her movements as her restless mind sifted memories.

  


_Suarez and Sellers sat at her work table in her studio with an open file folder. “Are you sure these documents aren’t yours?”_

  


_Clarke gracelessly plopped onto her stool. Her paint streaked hands covered her distraught face. “No. I can’t answer either way. You would have to speak with Dr. Griffin. Some of it sounds right, but I can’t be sure. I don’t remember half of what happened to me.  And, no one took the time to inform me about what was happening. I have a lot of misinformation, but that came from piecing together their conversations and guessing. Now I know that I was born both omega and alpha, but I learned that from Lexa, not anyone else. Lexa can also share with you that she took me off alphatest. God, that withdrawal phase was worse than the one from heroin. That shit made me crazy. I remember mom injecting me with it, but not why. I think she wanted me to be more of an alpha...but it's just a guess. I have doubts because you know about all those poor women whose lives I destroyed; she knew about them too. Why would a woman, a beta at that, allow her son to be such a brute? I can’t help but wonder if she was injecting me for a different reason. I don’t know. My best suggestion is to find her and ask her yourself.”_

  


_Sellers elbowed Suarez. They exchanged nervous eye glances. The omega’s irritation and sadness burned their nostrils. Suarez thanked the gods that her alpha had missed this. Clarke removed her hands from her face and sighed. She watched the two detectives awkwardly try to pawn off the next hazardous question until in her own exasperation she blurted out, “I don’t care who asks, just get on with it.” When the two jumped, the omega’s lips tipped up into a smirk.’Big bad detectives, please.’_

  


_Sellers cleared her throat, and a pained expression filled her eyes. “Have you seen your mother since the party?” Using a thumbnail to pick at the paint on the table, Clarke waited for the woman to continue. “The thing is that she went to work the following day. She lost a patient before 10 a.m. and disappeared to the bar across the street. Everyone thought she had a relapse and would be back to work hungover the next morning. But, she hasn’t been seen. We need permission to break into her house as she isn’t an active investigation. We don’t have probable cause.”_

  


_The blonde’s shoulders tensed. “Oh, so you want me to permit you to break into the house of someone I no longer claim. You want to see if she’s passed out drunk in her living room because she won’t answer the front door.” Clarke shook her head. “No, I can’t do that. Even though she hated me for all those years, I won’t do that to her. She wouldn’t want anyone to see her in that state. Let’s give her a few more days. Then, try again. Her benders have been known to take a week or two. Give her time. Besides, if you push too hard, she won’t help you at all.”_

  


_Suarez closed the file. “If you think of anything that might tell us more please give me a call._

_The Mt. Weather records are in terrible shape. Trying to match patients with their files is going to be thankless work as the alphanumeric system in place doesn’t connect with anything that we’ve found. I keep hearing rumors that they will shut us down due to lack of progress soon. Many think it’s a waste of department resources. The file we showed you stood out because of some of the details. Given your history and since you already have some connection with the case; we thought we’d give it a shot. But, really this could be anybody.” Fatigue filtered into the woman’s words as she spoke._

  


_Clarke wanted to support their efforts. The abuse caused by Mt. Weather needed to be researched so that the injured could be treated, but also to bring the guilty to justice. Unlike everyone else in the room, she had received care from Wallace. She knew the horrors he sold even if her parents never saw it for the evil it became. For thousandth time in her life, Clarke wondered how aware of what went on behind those steel doors her parents had been._

  


“Clarke, baby, you are thinking too hard.” Sleepy words fell from her sleeping alpha’s lips. The omega emitted comforting pheromones and curled into her lover allowing their bond to soothe both of them.

  


***

  


Clarke turned the engine off in Lexa’s sleek Benz. Getting permission had been less hassle than she imagined. A quick text and here she floundered in memory staring at an all too familiar garage door. She hated this house. Her flesh crawled from every memory. Whether being praised by her grandfather for delivering a beating to another young alpha, or her mother’s disappointed glare at her continued interest in the arts instead of sciences, this house held the culmination of a life deferred.

  


Bile rose in her throat as she slid the key in the lock and opened the front door. The air felt stale, but the absence of the rancid smell of rotting meat put her mind more at ease. She might discover many things about her mother today, but she doubted she would find the woman’s dead body. Her nose would have alerted to the smell already. That idea didn’t lessen the knot in her stomach as she kicked at paper scattered on the floor. Mail spread around the entryway in a large fan. The postmark from Buenos Aires gained her attention. Kneeling in the debris, she sorted the piles: bills, trash, and personal. From the quantity, her mother hadn’t used the front door in weeks.

  


Whether she did it from instinct or Lexa’s influence, she didn’t know. She dropped the junk mail in the garbage bin and placed the other two stacks on the breakfast bar where her mother deposited such things.

  


Waves of memory washed over her present. She carefully placed her keys and purse next to the mail and examined the state of her mother’s normally pristine kitchen. Empty bottles and abandoned takeout containers lay strewn on every surface. Though her nerves should be screaming in worry and terror, a sense of duty and sadness permeated her bones. She stepped around the island and opened the pantry door. She grabbed a trash bag and removed what she could and then carried out the mess to where the rolling cans stayed in the garage. Abby’s car sat in its normal berth. Her father’s as empty as it had been for years now.  She cast off the melancholy hovering along her shoulders and returned to the kitchen. She wiped the counters and opened the refrigerator; she hated to admit that she felt relief at seeing the milk and eggs weren’t expired and a coffee creamer that had yet to be opened. Wherever in the house Abby hid, she had not gone without food at hand. Granted, she may have been relying more on delivery than her own capable hands. She sighed as her eyes filled with tears. She missed this kitchen and the smells that used to waft toward her room. Abby. though terrible with apologies, knew how to ask for forgiveness through food. Her time spent caged in this house also marked some of the best meals of her life. The hard-set of her mother’s jaw often conflicted with the watery sadness in her eyes--her mother the perpetual enigma. Clarke cleared her throat desperate to shed the painful memories that welled up with each step.

  


She chose to leave her heels at the base of the stairs and traverse into the unknown silently. Would her mother welcome her? Is she too drunk to care? Is she injured? Why has she shut herself off from the world? Ignoring the ideas worming their way into her consciousness Clarke went through the rooms beginning with her own.  Sun poked through a broken blind. The space, now devoid of furniture and carpet, collected dust. It sat abandoned. Clarke felt relief not to have to face the life she once had.

  


The two inch crack in her mother’s home office door attracted Clarke’s attention. A muffled groan made its way to her ears. Ignoring the two doors that separated her old room from Abby’s favorite, Clarke stepped into the doorway and gently pushed the door to open it wider. Clarke’s painting leaned against the far wall. Abby lay on the area rug mumbling in her drunken haze.

 

“Mom.” Her voice betrayed her by breaking mid-word.

 

“Baby?” Came the slurred response. “Shh. You can’t be here. If they find you, she will end you. You’ve gotta leave.”

 

Slowly, she crossed the distance to the woman struggling to sit up. One hand landed on a piece of paper; her added bodyweight forced it to slide dislodging Abby’s balance. “No, not come. You have to leave.” Panic spreads into her cries as she shakes her head in a vehement no, eyes opened wide in fear.

 

The blonde kneeled next to her mother, grabbing the flailing hands. “Who are you talking about?”  But, her eyes glance from the terrified face to the row of typed letters, crumpled and soiled.

 

_Dr. Griffin,_

 

_Your mistakes cost us our children. You must find cause to clear my name, or Clark dies. Whether as a man or a woman, you don’t deserve to stay a mother if I can’t._

_N._ _Q._

 

_Griffin,_

 

_You destroyed decades of work and cost us millions because you allowed Reyes to do clean up. We told you that personal feeling had to stay out of it. You were told to be on that team. You knew Woods had to die, but you ignored our demands. You will pay. I am sure Dr. Queen made it clear what we wanted._

 

_T.J._

 

Clarke swallowed and picked up the stack, checking each one. The words changed, but the threat remained. Someone wanted to silence Abby; Clarke could die for her mother’s mistakes. Then, she came to the last page.

 

_Dr. G,_

 

_I am sorry I can’t give you more, but my father and Dr. Queen are trying to set you up. The records at Mt. Weather connect you to bank accounts. Whatever you do, don’t try to access the money. They will own you if you do. Old Man Griffin sold you and Jake out before we were born, but I don’t want my old friend to suffer for my dad’s mistakes. You shouldn’t either. What they told you about what they did there were lies. Don’t trust anyone connected to the Polaris Project. I wish I could help more._

 

_Wells_

  


Shaking in anger and fear, Clarke called Suarez. “Hey. Meet me at my mother’s. There are things here you need to see.”

 

Abby’s head lay in Clarke’s lap. Nonsensical bubbles continued to flow punctuated occasionally with rational thought.  “Mom were you supposed to work with Lexa? Did you know about what they were doing?”

 

Watery eyes attempted to focus on her face. “Queen only told me she wanted you to marry Ontari. I don’t know what else Thelonious means. Nia didn’t make any demands other than that we could have alpha prime grandchildren. It would be everything your grandfather demanded and more.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Unwelcome Roommates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens. Clarke deals with Abby. And heat happens...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize this is taking so long. Our schedules have not been cooperating.

Angrily gripping the steering wheel, Clarke drove toward her home at a snail’s pace while a still inebriated Abby slept in the passenger seat. The drive from her mother’s house to her own could take anywhere between 45 minutes and an hour and a half depending on the traffic. She groaned again glaring at the sea of tail lights ahead. A wreck brought the interstate to a standstill more than an hour ago. Her heart had danced in joy when they crept forward ten feet before stopping abruptly.

  
  


The sound of the detective’s ringtone startled her. She answered the call regretting that her phone paired with her car; her mother would hear every word said if she woke.

  
  


“Clarke, where are you? I’ve been parked in your driveway for the better part of an hour.”   
  


  
“Sorry. Blame the driver that they life-flighted a few minutes ago.” Clarke’s eyes searched Abby’s tired face; she showed no signs of gaining consciousness soon. Although she wouldn’t it admit it out loud, Clarke doubted that she could have left her mother in this condition even if she had not received death threats.

  
  


“...So, yeah. That’s why I think you should go ahead and park in the garage.”

  
  


“Umm.”

  
  


“You weren’t listening, were you?” For anyone else, Suarez would have sounded irate, but Clarke recognized the detective’s tone; something worried her.

  
  


”Sorry. I’ve been occupied with watching my surroundings. My mother is drooling on the interior of Lexa’s car, and I am pretty sure the teenage boy driving the car in front of me is masturbating while we’re stuck in traffic. Watching the car bouncing is somewhere between amusing and gross.” 

  
  


Shocked silence.

  
  


“Suarez, are you still there?”

  
  


An uncomfortable chuckle responded. 

  
  


“Clarke, I need you to listen this time. I have seen the same car pass the house five times in the last hour. I think you are being watched or they are waiting for you. Park in the garage. Try to make it less obvious that Abby’s in the car. Call me if you see anything suspicious.”

  
  


***

  
  


After exiting the expressway, the blonde chose a different path home. If someone wanted her, then she didn’t feel the need to make it an easy task. By the time she neared the house, she had noticed a nondescript SUV following at a reasonable distance. Fear and irritation coursed beneath her skin. Taking a sharp right into a parking lot, she crossed the busy space and used the furthest exit onto a side street.

  
  


Although the car lot had hidden her well, the Astin Martin DB9  stood out on the streets of the neighborhood. The blonde believed she had succeeded in getting away if the SUV had been following her. That if remained unconfirmed. The closer to home she grew, the more she doubted the vehicle’s intent until she turned onto her street.

  
  


The SVU sat in the shade of the driveway at Lexa’s closest neighbor. It’s running lights aglow, Clarke assumed the driver still occupied the vehicle. Fortunately, they would have a clear view of the driver’s side of her car; Abby stayed out of their line of sight..

  
  


Clark pushed the button on the console to initiate the call. “Suarez, I will be turning into the drive and heading for the garage in under a minute. I believe my tail is parked next door. You can’t see him because of the hedges on the west side of the property. He may try to follow me though. HIs engine is still running.”

  
  


Suarez turned over the engine in her unmarked car and waited. Clarke’s car followed the curve of the drive and around the house to the garage. The detective shifted into gear and eased forward hoping she took unnecessary precautions. However, a suburban sped after the luxury car. Its nose blocked the garage bay door. Suarez parked immediately behind the unwelcome vehicle, stepped out and drew her weapon.

  
  


“Get out of the vehicle and place your hands on your head.”

  
  


The driver’s door opened. The man held a t-shirt against his torso as he stepped out. His long hair held back in a ponytail helped confirm the driver’s identity. Roan turned his tattooed torso toward her gun.

  
  


“If I put both hands down I can’t stop the bleeding.” He swayed unsteadily on his feet. Clarke and Abby walked up behind him; Abby’s blank stare turned professional at the sight of his blood, but she held back until given the all clear.

  
  


Suarez lowered her weapon, but kept it out in the event he no longer disagreed with his mother.

  
  


“Roan, what are you doing here?” She signaled the other two women to help the man as he answered.

  
  


Clarke put his free hand over her shoulder and began walking them to the property’s medical facility. Abby followed closely behind.

  
  


“Jaha and my mother have sent a crew to come clean up a little mess they left. They know how useless the records you have are without help from the parents who visited Mount Weather. Orders have been given to have all of them neutralized. Dr. G is at the top of the list. Clarke is on there too because of how many times she visited. I have a list in my pocket of another 5. But, I don’t think most of them are in immediate danger.”

  
  


Suarez sprinted in front of the group and opened the door to allow them entry first.

  
  


The man grew paler with every step. They helped into the prep room and laid him on the bed. Abby, though sobering, instantly went to the sink and washed her hands. The alcohol did not impair her ability to function. Clarke moved out of her way as her mother pulled on the nitrile gloves.

  
  


“Explain to me what happened.” 

  
  


“A man sliced me with a KABAR.”

  
  


Abby nodded knowingly. “No serration so it should be fairly clean. Let me move the shirt out of the way. Hopefully, the cut is shallow, and I can stitch it, but we have a full surgical suite if it’s necessary. Let me get a better look.”

  
  


***

  
  


Aggravation stirred her stomach; heat swept over Clarke’s face as she paced the bedroom in thought.  This was not how she planned for this day to go and with Lexa busy at work she needed time to think. How could she explain the situation without worrying her lover?  A peaceful life was nothing more than a wishful dream. She let out a frustrated sigh before flopping on the bed in defeat.

  
  


Burying her nose in the sweet smell of Lexa scented sheets soothed her thoughts, but also made her acutely aware of another need growing between her thighs.  Gene therapy had changed her chemistry, Lexa’s gift was becoming more of a nuisance and today was not the day she wanted this to start. 

  
  


“So, mom’s in the medical wing patching up Roan; I suspect Raven and Anya are about to have to move back in per a request of Detective Suarez, and I am going into heat. How was your day?”  She gritted out her mock question rolling her eyes at the stupidity and felt thankful that Lexa hadn’t heard the pout in her voice. She craved her alpha; her blood raged to have her body filled by her mate. The second Lexa smells her words will disappear into a sweaty, delicious mess.

  
  


The thought had her hips grinding into the mattress, “Dammit, Lexa, just get here soon.”  

Suarez was already on the phone explaining the situation in a collected tone, “There’s no need to rush home, the danger has passed.  Just wanted to fill you in on what happened.”

  
  


“With Nia still out there this is far from over,”  Lexa growled into the receiver. “I am already in my car, just tell me that Clarke’s okay.”

  
  


Looking up at the ceiling as if she had x-ray vision,  “Oh she’s unharmed, but…”

  
  


“But?”

  
  


“She may need some  _ quality _ time with you.”

  
  


***

  
  


“We’ve moved out of the house days ago. What do you mean we’re moving back in?” Raven stomped her foot for emphasis as Anya began pulling the clothes they would need for work over the next week.

  
  


“The crazy ice-bitch is back. Apparently, she and Jaha think we are all a threat to them. Roan followed Clarke home today. Scared the shit out of her and Suarez. The man had a knife wound from killing the first of the paid assassins. He was driving the man’s SUV. Not that it matters, but Suarez needs all of us in the same location where they control who comes and goes. They will also supply security on the way to and from work. This isn’t our call to make. We have to do this.”

  
  


The beta’s lower lip trembled, “But, I had plans for us. Your rut is in four days. Big plans. Sordid ones. The kind that I don’t want Abby, Clarke and Lexa hearing or seeing it.” 

  
  


Anya smelled the distress pouring from her beta. “Ray. Love. What is it?”

  
  


The brunette’s mouth opened and closed several times before she plopped on the edge of the bed dramatically falling backward. 

  
  


“A few days ago all of you had me convinced I was pregnant. I didn’t want to be. I hated the idea. But, I kept being sick, so I took the test.”

  
  


Anya’s face brightened while Raven’s looked sadder; their eyes locked. “I’m not.”

  
  


The alpha schooled her features to hide the disappointment. “That’s good, right?”

  
  


The beta shrugged pitifully and turned away to hide her face. “I thought so until I had the results in my hand. Then, suddenly I felt empty. I keep dreaming of a little girl with a pointy nose, caramel eyes, and a lopsided grin.”

  
  


“I thought you wanted to wait until we had been together for awhile.”

  
  


Raven’s voice seemed to get smaller, “I do. I mean I did. Now, I am not so sure anymore. Maybe we could leave it to chance this time.”

  
  


Anya lifted Raven off the bed and into her arms. “I told you we would have kids when you were ready. Does this mean you’re ready? You do know that once you say yes, there isn’t any changing your mind?”

  
  


Burying her head in her alpha’s scent, “God, yes I want this. I shouldn’t, but I do.”  Raven’s nose tickled with the overpowering happiness of her lover.

  
  


***

  
  


Only the sound of a door slamming shut and strong breeze announced Lexa’s presence.  That and a blur that was much like the flash sprinted up the stairs leaving a strong mix of pheromones in the air.

  
  


Anya popped her head out of the kitchen, naked as the day she born with a jug of juice in one hand.  “Hello to you too! Dick.” She mumbled before taking a gulp.

  
  


“I believe your dick has something to be doing. Leave that one to serve its mistress. Get your ass back over here,” Raven’s voice cut through the room.

  
  


Dr. Abigail Griffin straightened her lab coat trying to assess what she should do now. Her nose burned from the two pairs. Her own wolf cried out for a mate. But, due to forces outside her control, she remained stuck inside her own personal, not-so-private hell.

 

She cleared her throat. “Can you two let me know when it’s safe to come in search of food? My patient, Aden and I would all like to fill our bellies at some point today.” With all the dignity she could muster she marched out the back door to Lexa’s lab. Hopefully, Raven will remember what she said.

  
  


***

  
  


Clarke barely managed to get herself coordinated enough to trek her way to the bathroom leaving a heap of blankets bundled in the middle of the bed.  The climate of the room was humid and dense with her stench. The cool air hugged her sweaty form providing a much-needed reprieve from the slick wet heat radiating within her core.  She was grateful that the bathroom window had been left open and chose to spend a minute more in thought soaking in the chill like a hug from an old friend.

  
  


It was the alarming smell of her alpha that stirred her from her temporary moment of peace.  The loud reverberating thud of the door smacking shut had her jolt from her porcelain throne.  “Lexa.” A quiet gasp brushed passed her soft dry lips.

  
  


Lexa stalked the body shaped bulge in the bed; her keen green eyes were lost in a lust-filled dilation of black.  Sniffing the air to consume the delicious scent of her mate she immediately began tearing away her clothes. The concern of material things lost in the aroused mind.  

  
  


“Clarke.”  She growled the name, scooping up the pile of blankets to pull the blonde into her hold only to find the bed empty and her wolf annoyed.  Her nose betrayed her, but her ears hadn’t. A muffled flush from the toilet drew her attention; her eyes gleamed darkly at the closed door.  “Clarke.” Cordial thoughts diminished to her primal nature, slinking towards the noise and barely visible light. Her muscles involuntarily flexed.

  
  


Barely four feet away, the door opened to the image of her frazzled mate,  “Lexa… I--” Her words were swallowed up in a hungry kiss as the alpha’s fingers captured the fleshy mass of Clarke’s ass.   

  
  


Legs swung up and around Lexa’s waist; need pulsed from her member as she carried the blonde towards the nearest surface colliding roughly against the vanity.  The mouths clashed wildly with teeth and lips fighting for dominance over the kiss. The brunette moaned when Clarke’s body pressed back into her stiff erection. 

  
  


Trapped between the counter and Lexa, Clarke gasped, exhilarated with her mate’s warm dick teasing her abdomen. She clawed into the harden muscles encompassing the brunette’s back.  “I need you…. Inside me. Please.” She breathed hotly into a desperate kiss.

  
  


Lexa pulled back enjoying Clarke’s displeasure, before sharply turning her around and forcing her to grip the sink.  “I love it when you beg.” She purred into the blonde’s ear before capturing the soft lobe between her teeth. 

  
  


A soft mew escaped,  “Fuck me.” 

  
  


“Oh, I intend to, baby.”  Growling the words seductively, she felt the blonde shudder against her chest.  Burying her hand in between Clarke’s toned thighs, Lexa explored the soaked sex rubbing her palm expertly to stimulate her mate.  “You are so fucking wet.” Purring, she wiped the excess slick around her pulsing dick letting out a trembling moan. More blood surged into the already rock hard member; it was becoming unbearable.  Trying to steady herself, she leaned into Clarke, resting her chin on the slim shoulder as she guided the tip towards the glistening folds. 

  
  


The heat from the fleshy cock stirred a moan from Clark as she arched her back, trying to impale  herself on the engorged phallus. “Inside me, please.” More want seeped from her core coating Lexa’s cock and hand.

  
  


Snorting a groan as she traced between the burning slit, Lexa nearly came undone with the soft pleas from her mate.  Sinking the tip into the clenching muscles, she felt the tight cunt begin to stretch to accommodate the girth. The alpha continued to drive her dick deeper inside the strangling pressure encouraged by the heavy moans of approval until fully sheathed.  “I’m going to fuck you good, princess.” She promised kissing the nape of Clarke’s neck. 

  
  


Capturing Clarke’s hands, she pinned them in front of the blonde on the vanity with her own.  Starting a slow jog of her hips she hoped to avoid harming Clarke, but the needy blonde had other ideas.  Attempting to control the pace the omega rocked back into Lexa, challenging the alpha’s patience and provoking the primal urge to dominate her mate.  Jerking both of Clarke’s wrists backward, she forced the blonde to bow over the counter and held her down with her arm. She kept a firm grip on the omega’s hands as she thrust roughly into the tight hot velvet.

  
  


Instinctual but a habit that needed breaking, Clarke fought the urge to submit to her alpha. She was still angry over the needy mess Lexa made of her without consent.  There was never a discussion over the gene therapy, and this heat was one of many Clarke would endure. It was different being the alpha, she could easily handle her rut, but this was a whole other beast that couldn’t be tamed with a simple fuck.

  
  


Even with Lexa’s cock buried inside her, she felt like this was fleeting contentment.  She needed more. “Harder…” She moved against her alpha still playing on the wolf’s nature to dominate this dance and earned a low, threatening growl.

  
  


The loud sticky slap of Lexa’s hips smacking relentlessly into Clarke’s ass was increasing in tempo as the alpha’s knot slowly began to swell.  A trembling pleasure was building in the blonde’s core causing her movements to become erratic, “So close… fuck, I’m almost there. Don’t stop.”  She whined through heavy pants.

  
  


Leaning her full weight onto the blonde’s back Lexa demanded submission as her movements slowed to hard, precise slams of her cock.  Each thrust drove the knot further into the tight heat, painful yet pleasurable she stretched the fleshy ring of Clarke’s cunt. Lexa’s pheromones burned through the omega’s nostrils weakening her resolve until she finally submitted to her alpha.  

  
  


The second she went limp, Lexa pulled her up against her body, pressing a soft kiss on the petite shoulder before jamming her knot entirely into her mate.  Her arms wrapped tightly around Clarke’s slick torso as the two were rocked by a wave of pleasure. Stifling a moan, she sunk her teeth into the taut skin as Clarke screamed her climax.  Each hot jet of Lexa’s seed elicited a delightful tremble from the omega.

  
  



	7. Ghosts of Mt. Weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke's heat has worn off. This is the morning after with Abby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't promise how often I will be publishing, but this one appeared in my head so I thought I would share it.

Clarke slaked her thirst as she leaned against the cold hard porcelain sink in her bathroom. Her alpha’s soft snores assured her that her need had not woken her alpha. She involuntarily hummed in contentment remembering the last few days. Her heat’s onset made demands that Lexa satisfied with a devotedness she had only dreamed of since being a pup. The soreness of her muscles reminded her of Lexa’s stern commands and relentless strength. Smelling the remnants of their musk covering her skin, she stepped into a much-needed shower.  
  
  
The cascade of water down her head and back clear the cobwebs from her mind created by her intense heat. With her arms extended to hold her body away from the slowly warming tiles, she allowed the spray to pour over her face. An image of a face crowded her thoughts. She arched her back and twisted, popping her back and feeling the sting of water hitting Lexa’s bite mark. The steam from the shower had loosened her muscles allowing an intense stretch of her arms overhead. Her knees buckled as another memory bubbled to the surface.  
  
  
Clarke watched her younger self clinging to his blanket while hiding under a hospital bed. The sterile room devoid of light had only one window, a one by one observation glass set into the door. He rubbed his nose and wiped his tears on the cotton weave he wrapped himself within, then he slid out. He tiptoed across the floor and tested the doorknob. A relieved grin appeared as he dropped the bedding and slipped through the gap in the door. He snuck down the corridor to the t-junction. Muffled screams came from the darkness on his left, but a winding staircase disappeared downward on his right. Exhibiting confidence he didn’t have, he stepped into the light, but the loud tap of footsteps on the stairs forced him to the darkness and nearer to his worst fears.  
  
  
Another scream ripped through the walls, but the sound of heavy boots stepping into the hall pushed him toward the poor soul in pain. He stepped around the bend only for a wall of glass to appear. An unsedated teen dangled from the ceiling by his ankles. Blood dripped down his torso, neck, and head. Incisions appeared all over his body, but the large bloody gauze wrapped around his throat where his gland should be drawn Clark attention. As the boy rocked in his agony, his long hair sweeping across the floor, the saturated bandage fell away leaving an oozing wound and a gaping hole. Clarke silently cried into his cupped hands. Eyes locked with the victim. At that moment, young Clark recognized the boy who had camped out near the comic shop to sell newspapers.  
  
  
‘’What is he doing here? Isn’t this facility for the rich?’ Hadn’t mom pulled favors to bring me here because I am the Griffin heir apparent?’ The thoughts sifted through adult Clarke’s mind. In memory, he could only stare helplessly watching the kind boy he knew suffering.  
  
  
The rattling sound of wheels squeaked down the hallway but coming closer. Clark gulped knowing he would be caught outside his cell. He saw a janitor’s closet a few feet away. He ducked in before he was seen in the dim lighting.  
  
  
“Jaha’s son has accepted the new gland. His body is the first not to reject it.” The man sounded pompous and sure.  
  
  
“Why do you think that is? Do you think it was the treatment or that Well lacked a gland, to begin with?”  
  
  
Clark flinched. She recognized that voice anywhere. Jaha had been an old friend of the family, but he had always creeped out the boy. Wells had always been friendly, but his father couldn’t be trusted. Her father had confided in him about his gambling losses only to have the news appear in the papers. No one else knew but Jaha and his creditors. Her father new where the leak had to originate. The question was what did Jaha get for the exchange of information?  
  
  
Suddenly, a hand wrapped around young Clark’s shoulder. “What are you doing out of your cell?” Clark whimpered when an injection hit his carotid. The boy lost consciousness.  
  
  
Cold water bit into Clarke’s face as she woke from her dream. The shower had turned cold from the duration of her soak. Painfully, she stood and turned off the water, grabbed a towel and tried to dry her body.  
  
  
Her hands shook from cold, but deep within she wondered if her memory and the fear she had felt as a young boy had not resurfaced. She towel-dried her hair and then tiptoed into her bedroom. Lexa slept soundly in the grey light of early morning. Clarke’s anger subsided looking at the angelic beauty of her lover. The gene therapy had quieted her awful alpha, but at what cost? She sighed. Lexa had earned her trust by never keeping secrets, but why the therapy?  
  
  
***  
  
  
Abby entered the main house. Roan’s body healed nicely, Aden proved to be an excellent assistant, but that couch left a lot to be desired as far sleeping went. She cracked her neck as she made the morning coffee. As she turned around, she took a step back as Clarke leaned against the door facing watching her.  
  
  
“Good morning. I wasn’t expecting any of you to be out of your bedrooms so early.” Abby’s semi-apologetic tone bothers Clarke.  
  
  
“My stomach demanded food. I’m tired and sore, but hungry. How would you like an omelet for breakfast? I’m cooking.” She enjoyed the stunned expression on her mother’s face.  
  
  
As a boy and even a man, Clark avoided kitchen work of any kind. The man lived off takeout, but this woman standing before her Abby began to realize she knew nothing about her. “Sure. I would love that. Do you still like cream in your coffee? I’ll fix you a cup since your fixing breakfast.”  
  
  
The blonde gave her mother a reassuring smile and set to work. Inside her head, Clarke grumbled and growled because Abby Griffin did not belong in her residence. But, then a wave of fear hit. What if Jaha and Queen succeeded? What if both her parents died without reconciling with their child? Clarke wiped a tear as she remembered the morning his dad switched from being supportive; he shoved Clarke out the back door screaming about his disinterest in making money. “Your mother created your future for you. You may be a brilliant artist, but this ship is sinking son. We need you to do this. Your mother and I won’t have money forever. You have to make your mark.”  
  
  
A gentle hand rested on her shoulder as she plated the last omelet. “Clarke, are you okay?”  
  
  
Her mother’s concerned tone cut her a little deeper. More tears fell. The absurdity of it all brought a frustrated chuckle out of Clarke. “I don’t know. Is this my hormones, or that horrible fucking heat that falls on me? I keep remembering that last morning I was with dad. He was so”  
  
  
“Impressed with your talent.” Abby cut her off knowing the direction of her thoughts. She pulled Clarke away from the hot stove and plates. One hand on her shoulder, the other cupping a delicate, tear-stained cheek, her eyes drove affectionately into crystal blue. “But, your father had bankrupted us. And, what’s more, his father had pulled a lot of his financial backing from us as well? The old man had always made demands about what you had to be, but you my beautiful girl would not, could not be commanded and broken.” Abby shook her head but didn’t break contact. “You forged on and became what you are meant to be. Don’t look back. The Griffin legacy is in ashes. And, I am not sure that isn’t for the best. Jake’s father manipulated me as a young woman into promises I should have never made. I was a fool to believe he looked out for anyone, but himself.” Abby kissed Clarke’s forehead. “I know I have a lot to make up for, but can we leave that alone and just be this morning?”  
  
  
A half-smile blossomed on pink lips. “I think we can manage that. If you carry the coffees, I will grab the plates. Let’s eat in the solarium. The smell will be so much better.”  
  
  
An awkward guffaw fell from Abby’s lips. “Thank God. The air has been difficult to breathe for days.”  
  
  
Clarke rolled her eyes. “You should consider yourself lucky. Do you have any idea how many times in the last few months I have come to get something to eat only to walk in on Anya and Raven and their sexploits? Have I mentioned how often I bleach the kitchen counters? Or, one time I came in from my studio to find the two knotted on the coffee table. Who even does that?”  
  
  
Abby smiled and took her plate as they sat down at the cafe table and looked out into the vibrant garden.  
  
  
They ate in companionable silence until Abby sat back, crossed her legs and eyed her daughter.  
  
  
“I want to say thank you.”  
  
  
Clarke sucked in a deep breath as if to argue, but Abby held up a hand.  
  
  
“I have no right to expect you to save me from them. My mistakes are coming back to me. Call it karma, divine justice or whatever you like, but Nia Queen and Jaha coming after me is my fault. I didn’t expect you to protect me. You said it yourself; I destroyed our relationship. You aren’t mine anymore. But, you did. You came for me anyway. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”  Abby’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears.  
  
  
The blonde blushed and shrugged. “As much as I want to deny it, you are my mom. For better or for worse, I can’t turn my back when I know that someone wants to hurt you. And, as Suarez has told me more than she should. I know that a lot of what happened to me you may not have fully understood. You may have been lied to, manipulated and coerced, but at the end it was you injecting me. So, pardon me if I stay conflicted when it comes to you.”  
  
  
  
The older woman cleared her throat and pursed her lips. “In the end, I chased a dream I didn’t believe in anymore. My fear of failure exceeded everything. At least, that’s what I told myself. When I stopped drinking my therapist asked me what made me start drinking for the first time. I told him it was the sound of my son crying, but the truth was I started when I realized that I was the villain in my story. I still don’t know what to do with that.”  
  
  
  
 


	8. Villains and Victims

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven makes a mistake. Abby begins helping Suarez.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a super short entry today, but as it's Spring Break for me, I hope to add another or 2 over the next few days. But, I am also writing three stories at the moment. Xevn's been rather unavailable, so I am productive, but it isn't all focussed here. I need him to write the sex scenes. Don't laugh. I am not kidding. Anyway, Happy Easter to all who celebrate. And, I want to thank everyone for reading and commenting.

Suarez carried two boxes of files into through the back door of the house.  
  
“Can you open a few more windows? My God, this place smells like a brothel.” Abby smirked while Clarke flushed pink before leaving the room grumbling about the inconvenience of the heat cycle.  
  
“What’s her problem?”  
  
Abby grinned. “She hasn’t fully understood what Lexa has done for her. But, someday when her gland has finished repairing itself, she will.”  
  
The skin around the detective’s eyes tightened. The doctor could read the discomfort and confusion on her face. “The gene therapy will allow Clarke’s true omega nature to reach its full potential. Now, that Lexa’s removed her alpha gland, there is nothing to neutralize its effectiveness. Theoretically, in a few months, she will be able to get pregnant and bare a child. I don’t think she understands that. She feels like the heat that hits her is crippling, but her body is healing and changing at an accelerated rate. I never imagined this to be possible. But, then again, I didn’t believe in true mates until I saw her standing next to Lexa at the gala. I don’t even know if they have figured it out. I only know because of Raven and Anya filling me in on most of their history.”  
  
The detective’s eyebrows rose. “They told you their whole history.” The incredulous tone of the question struck the doctor.  
  
“No. I know that Lexa didn’t fully present until Clarke hit her first heat. Why? What am I missing here?”  
  
“Nothing I’d be willing to share without their consent. But, I will say this. A lot of what has been done for Clarke is the first of its kind because she is so unique. How often is a child born that has both glands? And, I understand that the treatments at Mount Weather damaged the omega gland, but like all things, with the right treatment it heals.”  
  
Dropping the boxes on the coffee table, the detective pulls out a stack of old files and opens the first.  
  
“What I need you to do is listen to the details and then tell me if you can think of anyone that fits the description. I know that you were around and saw what they were doing, but you didn’t realize they were harvesting glands from poor children they kidnapped.”  
  
Abby’s eyes grew wide. “I thought they synthesized the hormones in a lab. The glands were supposed to be harvested post-mortem like a heart, lungs or even eyes”  The doctor paled. “I subjected my only son to people willing to kidnap the homeless to use them as test subjects.” She rubbed her palms together and paced the floor in front of the table. “Ok. Let’ start. I want to help as many people as I can. When I signed on to be a doctor, I did it to help all people.”  
  
“So file one reads ten-year-old female. Dormant omega gland…”  
  
***  
  
Raven nibbled at Anya’s lower lip. “Wake up, love.”  
  
The tired alpha rolled over and buried her head under a pillow.  
  
“We need to get up. We need food. And, we need a shower.” The grumbled response from under the pillow remained unintelligible. The latina enjoyed stroking the planes of her mate’s back. She watched chill bumps arise in her wake. But, the woman refused to move.  
  
“Fine. You stay here. I will go out on my own.” She kissed the back and slipped from the bed.  
  
After showering and pulling clothes over her tired, battered body, she padded downstairs. “Hey, Abs. and Suarez. Good morning.”  
  
Abby gave her a wave without looking up from the file she read. But, the detective glared at her. “Thank you for not being bare-assed naked this time, but once again I have arrived at the Wood’s house to be bathed in the musky odor of you and Anya. Could the two of you be considerate enough to open a window? I don’t think I am asking something unreasonable.”  
  
“Have you ever tried to reason with someone rutting?” Suarez flinched. “I thought so. Give my bae a break. She’s been working hard for three solid days and nights. Notice how I am covered head to toe. Yeah. Do you want to see all the bite marks I have? Do you want to know how many times she knotted me? Or, how good it felt when she sanks her”  
  
“Nevermind. I get it. Really, I do.”  
  
“No, you aren’t.” Raven grinned, pleased with her pun. “If you were, you’d be in a better mood. So, seriously, when are you going to tell Sellers that she’s still the love of your life? You’ve worked closely together for more than six months. I mean really, a little lip action, then a little hip action and the two of you could have a whole new life together. Own it, detective.”  
  
The flustered woman stared after the beta as she left the room. “How come she always leaves me feeling stupid?”  
  
The doctor smirked. “She’s been like that since she was a pup. She made the school superintendent so nervous that he would avoid her at all costs. There was a rumor that her senior year he called the school to make sure she was absent on the day he did his annual drop-in site visit.”  
  
Both women laughed. Then, Abby’s face paled. “Have you come across any files that mention the Polaris Project? I received a letter from Wells Jaha who told me not to access the accounts set up in my name dealing with that project. I’ve never heard of it. I know about any accounts, but if we can find that maybe we can tie it to more people.”  
  
****  
  
Raven’s mischievous grin dimmed as she glanced at the rearview mirror. A tan sedan had followed her the last few blocks. She eyed the driver at the next stoplight and determined they worked for Suarez due to their less than fashionable car, clothes, and eyewear; they had achieved the look of a low rent G-agent knockoff. Her angelic side screamed at her that she should have asked permission or told someone she had snuck out to by something tasty for breakfast, but Raven’s independence couldn’t be contained. She sighed knowing she would get an earful as soon as she made it back to Lexa’s estate. The light turned green, and she hung a left into her neighborhood; her defenses fell as she knew she’d soon be safe. A horn honked loudly behind her as she suddenly realized she had not taken her turn at the four-way stop. She floored it across the intersection not noticing the speeding vehicle coming from her immediate right.  
  
The jarring impact spun her car into the ditch. ‘Shit! Anya’s going to be ridiculous after this’ was the last though she had before she passed out.


	9. Dominance and Down Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven's made a mistake. 
> 
> Bold italics is text messaging.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still working solo. Xevn still working constantly. Feel free to point out any mistakes. Thank you for all the comments and kudos. It's nice to know someone is still reading.

Curled in a ball holding her throbbing head, Raven muttered to herself. “Damned overprotective idiots.” She knew that if the cop following her had waited one more minute, she would have been able to identify her attackers. As things stood, they tried pulling her from the car while she remained discombobulated from the sideswipe of her car. “I’m not a little princess that needs to be coddled,” she growled under her breath.  
  
The bedroom door slammed; Raven flinched knowing Anya would be close to rage. She didn’t have the patience to deal with an alpha’s ego right now.  Raven didn’t bother moving from where she lay with an ice pack covering the damage.Her head pounded from where it had impacted the driver’s side window, and her eyes refused to maintain their focus. The bruising radiated out and down her cheek. Fortunately, when she arrived home, Anya had been nowhere to be seen.  
  
“What the fuck were you thinking? They could’ve killed you.”   
  
“But, they didn’t. I’m fine.”  
  
The alpha placed a hand under Raven’s chin rotating her head to inspect the darkening bruise. A pungent scent wafted across the beta’s nose.  
  
“This doesn’t look like nothing to me. Why didn’t you take a guard?”  
  
She sighed before removing the ice so she could address Anya without restriction “I thought I would have a minute to myself. We were out of milk and eggs. I wanted to make you breakfast.” The excuse sounded weak even in her ears.   
  
“And, you forgot to ask one of the guards to go with you as you snuck out to the cars.” Anya knew the statement to be a lie, but she needed to hear the latina say it.   
  
“I drove three miles. I picked up four items and came back. I didn’t think I needed a tail for that. Hell, they found me on the way home anyway. I am pretty sure that was Johnson behind me seconds before the collision.”  
  
The brunette observed her alpha who had stepped back, leaning on the door. “He stopped the man that tried to pull me out of the car. He brought me here and let mama G patch me.” She shrugged her shoulders. “A few stitches and a bruise. I am fine, but someone needs to go back and get the milk and eggs. They didn’t make it in the commotion.”  
  
Anya’s eyes glowed red; her voice lacked warmth. “I need you to promise me you won’t do something so reckless again.” She struggled to keep her wolf at bay.  
  
Raven shrugged her shoulders. “I make no promises. You know me. If I see a problem, I fix it. I don’t wait for permission.” Her head pounded and her stomach rolled. Truth be told, she had no interest in this conversation. She never promised alphas anything; her own not being an exception.  
  
The alpha stalked nearer leaking pheromones that demanded submission. Raven eyed her confused. The emissions had to be against Anya’s will because they remained sparse. “I need you to promise, Raven. If we are going to be partners and parents, I need to know you will think with your head, not your pride.”  
  
The beta’s anger spiked, “I’m not going to let some alpha or the cops dictate my life for me. If I want to go to the fucking store, then I am going to the fucking store.”  
  
“Really, I am just some alpha. I thought we were mates.” Hurt shined in her eyes. “You not being here scared me. I’ve searched every inch of this property looking for you.”  
  
“Maybe you shouldn’t have. I don’t need you protecting me. I am an adult and capable. Besides, you told me to get out so you could sleep.”  
  
“I meant I was tired. I didn’t mean for you to leave safety; I always want you with me..”  
  
“You call it that. I call it a fancy prison.It’s suffocating.” Raven regretted her words as soon as they came out of her mouth. “Not that this hasn’t been fun, but my head is killing me. I need to rest.”  
  
“I see. I’m sorry. I guess I’ll go to work and leave you to it.”   
  
Fear twisted in her gut as her alpha retreated. The woman had fought her own body, not forcing her to submit. She gave her a choice and Raven chose to spit in her love’s face verbally. Tears burned down her cheeks; she’d fix this when Anya came home tonight.  
  
****  
  
A soft knock roused Raven from her sleep. Early evening shadows filled the room. “Come in,” she said confused by the courtesy.  Lexa carried in a tray with a plate of food, a bottle of water and a small bottle of painkillers.   
  
“We thought by now you would need something to eat.” She sat the tray on the bedside table and turned for the door.  
  
“Why didn’t Anya deliver it? Is my big bad alpha still sulking?” Though bitterness tinged her words, Raven’s voice quavered with concern.  
  
“She isn’t coming back tonight. She said she has too much work to get caught up on at the office.”  
Lexa opened the door to leave.  
  
“So, she’s mad.”  
  
The alpha turned to face the bed. “No, she’s not. She said you didn’t want or need her. I think she’s trying to decide what to do from here. You aren’t the first lover who decided she wasn’t necessary. But, she thought your mating meant something. You implied it didn’t. Don’t be surprised when she offers to have her bite marks removed.”  
  
Raven sat on the bed with tears streaming down her face shaking her head. ‘What did I do?’  
  
Unlike Anya, Lexa turned and carefully closed the door. Her words echoed through the room.   
  
_**Anya, where are you? The bed feels empty.  7:02pm**_  
  
 _ **You can’t still be mad. 8:01pm**_  
  
 _ **Baby? 8:34 pm**_  
  
 _ **I’m getting worried. You aren’t answering your landline or responding. Are you okay? 8:55 pm**_  
  
 _ **I’m calling Suarez. 9:03**_  
  
****  
  
The dark liquor in the bottle had fallen in the last quarter. Bleary eyes studied it for the answers. Anya leaned forward, elbows on the desk, trying desperately to make her mind find a different conclusion.  
  
Suarez entered the office. She hated seeing the beautiful alpha in such turmoil. “You will get through this. I’m sure Raven didn’t mean it the way you think she did. She’d snuck out to make you breakfast; that has to mean something.”  
  
“Yesterday, I might’ve agreed with you. But, we have this pattern. We set a limit. We agree to the limit, and then, she steps over the limit daring me to get angry. When I get angry, I’m an alpha that doesn’t know their place. If I let it go, the next time she leaps over the limit and taunts me with it. How can we live like this? I don’t see a way to make this work? Do you?”  
  
The detective picked up the bottle off the disk and took a long swig. “I have to give it to the Woods family. Y’all certainly choose top-shelf whether it’s spirits or women.” Taking a seat on the far side of the desk, she kicked her shoes off and propped her tired feet on the opposing chair. “What do you want to do?”  
  
An unhappy smirk formed on Anya’s mouth. “I’d love to fuck her into submission, but that doesn’t work. It only makes her feel like she’s won. I need her to know what it feels like to worry that I won’t be back, not leaving, but gone. She needs to know what I go through every time she throws caution to the wind. She wants to carry my pups, but then she disregards everything that I need from her. Do my needs matter when it isn’t about sex?”  
  
The detective dropped her head back onto the chair. “I know how that feels. Several years ago Sellers and I had a thing; we weren’t even exclusive yet. We didn’t plan it, but she got pregnant. I didn’t even know. She had found out maybe a day or two before this. I don’t know. We don’t talk about it.” She stopped and took another pull from the bottle. “She got a call to assist with some perp. I was waiting at the restaurant where she was going to tell me. Next thing, I get a call. The perp had gotten the best of her. She miscarried on the ambulance ride. She dismissed me from her hospital room, told me she would call when she was ready. I didn’t hear from her until last fall about Ontari’s body.”  
  
Anya’s face mirrored the broken pain found on Suarez. “I guess it’s a good thing I always keep several bottles on hand.” She opened the bottom drawer to her desk and pulled out another. ”Funny thing, you started out as my favorite detective, and you are slowly turning into my priest or shrink.”  
  
“Nah. I think you’re finally realizing we’re friends. This is what friends do. They let you see the shit in their lives so that both of you have someone to lean on and you find out you aren’t the only one that continues to love a stubborn woman.”  
  
“Yeah, but you and Sellers, you aren’t together.”  
  
“The love bites under this shirt would beg to differ.”  
  
Anya’s eyebrows arched. “Really? When did that happen?”  
  
“The first time, the thing or the restart?”  
  
The CFO stalked over and took the empty bottle from the detective and tossed into the trash. After taking a sip of her own, she passed the bottle to Teresa taking the opposite seat, letting her friend prop her feet across her knees while Anya’s long legs found the edge of her desk.  
  
“Start wherever.  
  
“The first was at the academy, and it was a one-time drunken moment that could have gotten us tossed out on our asses, so we didn’t repeat. Then, we both got promoted to detective at the same time in different departments. When everyone took me out drinking, her group was doing the same for her at the same bar. So, we celebrated together again. And, it seemed to happen from then on that we crossed paths every week or so and one of us would do the walk of shame in the wee hours before work. But, then the perp.” Suarez took another long pull, her eyes beginning to glaze. “And, then there was Mount Weather. She helped me put myself back together after visiting its chamber of horrors. She still does on nights when I wake up screaming or crying from it.”  
  
“So, is it a new thing or is it a relationship?”  
  
The detective's lips quirked up as her eyes danced with happiness. “This time we have actual dates. Even though it isn’t strictly by the book, those in power know about it and told us to keep it private. If it affects our work, we will get separated. Or, we will be told to choose between each other and our jobs.”  
  
Anya growled. “The only thing Raven and I have that is keeping us apart is ourselves. I’m tired of being the only one trying.”  
  
“She’s worried and upset if it helps.”  
  
Anya spun her head to give her friend a confounded stare.   
  
“When you didn’t answer your phone, she began blowing up mine with text messages. If you’ve been paying attention, I haven’t been answering.”  
  
A small drunken smile crosses Anya’s face. “I’m sleeping here on the couch tonight. Do you want the other one?”  
  
“Considering I’ve had about a third of a bottle, I have a phone call to make, but yes, I’ll take its twin in Lexa’s office next door.”  
  
The detective stepped away into the CEO’s space to fire off her texts be for sleep.  
  
 ** _Frank, make sure the guard outside understands. I drank too much._**  
  
 ** _Lex and Raven, she’s drunk as hell. So am I. See you tomorrow._**  
  
 ** _Sellers, Love, duty called. Staying out with an upset alpha. Anya should be okay in the morning. Sorry about our plans. I promise I’ll make it up to you._**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  



	10. What Have I Done?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will edit and put up another chapter either Saturday or Sunday, possibly both depending on how much time I get without having to do other things. 
> 
> Pretty much everyone agreed for me to write the story and then Xevn can add in his scenes whenever he's up to it. The smut is fun, but it will have to wait until he's up for it.
> 
> I know this one is short, but that was because this was the natural breaking point. I know some will say cliff hanger, but if you have any doubts about the Ranya relationship, don't. They are as sacred to me in this fic as CLexa. They will all get their happily ever after moment--eventually.

 

  
Five Days Later 2 a.m

Raven sat in the window seat in the solarium studying the stars. She shivered again. Her skin missed the heat of her alpha. Yesterday she had come out of her shower to a half-empty closet. Fear prevented her from asking Lexa and Clarke where Anya’s clothes had been moved, or who had done it.

_**Raven: I miss you every moment. Where are you? Will you ever come back home?** _

Her heart stopped when for the first time in almost a week three little dots appeared wavering on the screen.

_**Anya: I don’t think I have a home anymore. Home is where you are loved, respected and wanted. What I fooled myself into believing is a lie.** _

The latina sucked in a deep breath. Her first instinct to call and yell at her mate flared. However, she deserved this. She knew it. Raven wanted her alpha. She missed talking to her, listening to her heartbeat, hearing her breath in the middle of the night, cuddling together after her nightmares, and she longed to feel her body on top of hers. Fighting with tears that threatened to spill, she typed her response.

_**Raven: But, it wasn’t. I love you. I need you.** _

_**Anya: How can I trust in any of that when you are willing to throw everything away over eggs and bacon? When did I ever control you? When did I even try to do it? I’ve worked every day and spent every night trying to find the answer at the bottom of the glass. The only thing I know for sure is I can’t live like this. Either you learn to trust in us and keep yourself safe, or there isn’t an us. We can have our bites removed and go our separate ways. I see no other choices here. So, I guess the decision is yours. How important to you am I? Is being able to do whatever you want whenever you want of greater value than my love?** _

The tiny doctor stared at the screen willing it to shine. She silently prayed for a phone call. She wanted it to calm her love for her. Her pride prevented her from dialing Anya herself.

After an hour, Raven watched the three little dots dance again.

_**Anya: I am not stupid enough to pretend that you are going to choose me. I made an appointment to see a specialist about the removal for ten days from now. I know I have never been what you want, nor anyone else for that matter. I’m just fun. I’ll sign over the house to you. This doesn’t have to be a war. Have a good life, Raven. I wish you all the happiness the world has to offer.** _

_**Raven: Where are you?** _

_**Anya: It doesn’t matter.** _

_**Raven: The fuck it doesn’t. My alpha is missing. I haven’t seen, felt or heard her voice in days, and all I get is fucking texts that feel like my life is ending. Where**_ the hell are _ **you? My bed is empty. I haven’t slept more than an hour or two in days. I need to see you. Please. Where are you?**_

_**Anya: In a friend’s guest room. I’m safe.** _

The little brunette stormed into the living room and kicked Suarez’s feet where they stuck off the edge of the sofa.

“You know where she is? I need to see her.”

The detective wiped the sleep from her eyes and glanced at her watch. “What the hell, Reyes?”

The beta stomped into the sleepy woman’s space and breathed every word into her face. “Where the fuck is she? You are the one keeping us safe, so you know where she is. I don’t know why I didn’t figure that out days ago.”

“Oh, so now you get your head out of your ass.”

The latina glared. “I can’t fix it if I can’t find her.” The words lost their strength and energy as she spoke. “I can’t live like this. I need her. Please.” Tears ran down as her desperation became apparent.

“She’s staying in my guest room. Give me a few, and I’ll take you to her.”

“Don’t tell her we’re coming, okay?”

The detective’s lips quirked. “Okay.” She made a few phone calls, before Frank and another officer Raven didn’t know entered. She walked over and greeted them in a quiet conversation that the distraught beta ignored. With an annoyed eye roll, the detective sighed and pointed toward the door. “You said you wanted to go, so get moving. My car is out front.”

The detective stayed silent for the first few minutes of the trip, but then she side-eyed her companion. “I was wondering if you were one of those stupid betas that throw something good away because they are afraid of taking orders. Before you try to patch things up, I have a few hard truths you need to accept.”

Anger streaked across the olive skin before being replaced with an air of acceptance.

“Anya has barely been functional for days. The first night she seemed level-headed but heartbroken. Day two is a different story. The gun I had left with her while I stepped out to take a call was located much too close to her head for my liking. I can’t say she was suicidal, but she was too intimate with a deadly object for someone that wants to be on this earth. That day I took her to my house. I thought being somewhere neutral might provide perspective. It has, and it hasn’t. I can’t promise anything, but I am fairly certain that if she removes your mark, she won’t live too much beyond that. Her sense of self-preservation has evaporated. Her self-worth has been fictional since we met. That isn’t new. I want you to understand your alpha is fragile. If you hurt her if you do not treat her with the love and consideration she deserves, so help me God I will still protect you, but I will be done with you as a person. What you have put her through is cruel and unfair. She did absolutely nothing to deserve this.”

Raven gulped. Rage burned in the eyes that glowed in the darkness. “I wouldn’t hurt her again for all the money in the world.”

“Don’t let this happen again.” Suarez tossed a key at her. “Number 5D. I will watch you go up. Lock the door behind you. The security code is 1126. Don’t disarm the box on the inside. Use the code and the key to enter. Good luck and get out of my car.”

 

 


	11. Mates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a little bit of Clexa and Ranya. A comparison of two relationships, one that has learned to communicate and one that hasn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise to get another one or two over the next week. Bold Italics is a flashback.

Content and happy the blonde omega sipped her morning coffee and sketched on her pad while her toes tracked up and down the warm calf in front of her. She hummed quietly to herself, then bit her lower lip focussing on the pencil in her hand. “Feel free to quit distracting me. I do have to know the contents of this file before I sign off on the project.” Though her words chastised, Lexa knew her lover heard the tease in her voice. Pale fingers found hers at the edge of the table providing a light caress before retreating.

Clarke’s cerulean eyes flicked over to meet her alpha’s. “You know I wouldn’t mind finding more pleasant ways to hold your attention. The blonde leaned forward, her robe tipping open to reveal her cleavage had nothing to restrain it. “Raven disappeared last night. Suarez says she’s fine. We have the house to ourselves. What do you say we make the most of it.”

The brunette’s body betrayed her and mirrored her partner. “Have you forgotten that your mother uses this kitchen too? Granted, she lives in my private office here on grounds, but still, she shouldn’t have to hear us.”

A hard laugh fell from pink lips.

“Babe, my heat cured me of caring too much about what my mother may or may not hear. We were at it for close to a week. She heard it all; and, with Raven and Anya here I triggered Anya’s rut early. I would be willing to bet she saw quite a bit too.”

The two women smiled which slowly shifted into giggles. “Thank God, mom’s a doctor, or she would hate us all after that.”

Lexa’s smiled receded and then her brow furrowed creating fissures in her perfect visage. “Do you think Raven is working out her issues with Anya?” Her alpha’s pensive tone sounded doubtful to her ears.

Clarke rolled her eyes, then her contented smile fell. “Raven is stubborn. She’s arrogant. She’s the very definition of independent. I can’t begin to explain to you how deep in debt I am to Raven for all she did for me for years. She’s so headstrong and dependable to a fault. When it comes to love she hides. She didn’t let go of the memory of Finn for the longest. But, you also saw what a ridiculous puppy she became without Anya here. If Anya had stayed here and forced her to talk, we would have had an explosive argument that very well might have destroyed everything they have together. I think Anya did the right thing in leaving here. Raven had to think long and hard about what she wanted, what mattered to her.” The blonde laced their fingers together. “When we were younger Raven grew to hate most alphas. I gave her every reason to doubt an alpha’s intentions, but I believed she saw beyond that for Anya. I thought she could see all the love and support her chosen alpha gave her. Part of me wants to assume that this is my fault. That I made her doubt that an alpha can be trusted. But, her behavior isn’t justifiable. Anya has been the perfect gentlewoman in every way, maybe too much so. With all that she has witnessed Anya do for her, you and everyone else, I don’t understand why she treated her the way she did. If she had sincerely doubted Anya, she should never have exchanged bites.”

Lexa quirked an eyebrow at her lover without saying anything.

“I know what I did in the past was terrible. I hurt a lot of women. But, this is different. Mine were women I spent one night with. ONE. They’ve been together for months. She shouldn’t be questioning Anya’s intentions, after all, they’ve shared together.”

Nervousness pervaded the alpha’s movements as she straightened her hair and dress shirt. She cleared her throat and fought the losing battle with her quivering voice.

“I’m glad you feel that way.”

Lexa pulled two velvet boxes out of her pocket. “I was wondering if you had decided if you want a civil ceremony or a huge wedding? I know you said soon, but no rush. I am thinking it's time to quit putting our lives on hold for other people.”

With tears in her eyes, Clarke opened the boxes. The rings matched. “I think that this is our decision, not mine alone. I would be happy either way as long as it’s you that says ‘I do’ with me.”

In her excitement, Clarke tossed her sketch pad to the side and lept onto her alpha’s lap to show her extended appreciation.

****

Raven yawned. The salty remains of tears and sweat stuck to her skin. The heavy weight of her alpha pinned her to the cold tile floor. Anya’s head rested on her sternum. The latina tenderly carded her fingers through the sandy blonde hair. “God, I’ve missed you.” Tears welled in her eyes as she watched the beautiful woman sleep. The alpha’s arm tightened around her, and her head rubbed across her skin as the long woman sought a more comfortable position. The blonde gave a little snort, before settling again. Her mate held the woman through the pain hoping that sobriety would help paint a more positive future.

_**Raven reactivated the alarm before turned toward the light flooding the darkened living room. Anya swayed to music playing softly in the background. The vodka bottle in her hand that served as her microphone had reached empty.** _

_**Her beautiful voice sang out along with the song.** _

_**Nothing's fine, I'm torn** _   
_**I'm all out of faith** _   
_**This is how I feel** _   
_**I'm cold and I am shamed** _   
_**Lying naked on the floor** _

  
_**“Well, shit.” Anya stumbled drunkenly before pulling uselessly at her buttons. “But, I’m supposed to be naked to sing this one.”** _

_**Raven’s purse bumped the wall startling the inebriated alpha causing her to lose balance. She lost her footing and fell to the floor.** _

_**“Ugh.”** _

_**“Babe, you okay.” The latina laughed while tears ran down her face. This beautiful goddess of a woman that had chosen her stared at her in disbelief and heartbreak.** _

_**Though her words slurred, she understood every one of them. “Okay. No, I’m not. My life is never going to be okay again. I’m missing you so bad that I’m hallucinating you.” She pushed her uncoordinated body up on an elbow. “See, let me let you in on a little secret.” She raised one finger to her lips and looked side to side comically as if an audience could suddenly appear. “I had this totally amazing beta, but she doesn’t want to be mine. She doesn’t want to be anybody’s and I--” She dramatically paused and burped. “Vodka hates me.”** _

_**“And you what?”** _

_**“Oh, right. And, stupidly, I fell in love with her. All I want is to be hers, but she’s never going to belong to anyone.” She burped again. “I gotta go throw up again. Then I can start hanging out with Jimmy and James.”** _

_**Raven offered her a hand up, but the drunken woman crawled away without acknowledging it. The brunette shuffled behind her marveling that twice Anya’s fell against the wall. Both times she believed the woman had passed out, only to watch her push off to wherever she headed. She pushed into a small room and slammed the door.** _

_**She listened to the woman emptying the contents of her stomach over and over. With the second flushing of the toilet, Raven cracked the door. “Anya, why won’t you let me help you?”** _

_**“Because you aren’t real. The real you**_ knows _ **I’m not worth helping. She only misses me at night in the bed. I’m a great fuck, but I’m useless the rest of the time. One bad alpha. I wonder if having a second bite removed hurts as bad the first one does. Do you think I’ll ever be good enough for someone?”**_

 _ **The bleary-eyed alpha asked her on her knees before her. Raven grabbed a washcloth off the vanity and used it to clean the sick from her face before dropping it back in the sink. She tipped the alpha’s chin up as she kneeled in front of the broken soul. “You are everything. You are beautiful and strong. You are everything I have ever wanted in a mate. I was stupid. But, you are precious. You are more than enough for me.” Tears streaked down Raven’s chin for the hundredth time that day. She pulled her helpless alpha against her as she sank to the floor. The syncopation of even breaths**_ tell _ **her that the alcohol and fatigue finally shut her down.**_

“God, my head.” Raven jolted awake where she leaned against the wall. She opened her eyes in time to see Anya shove her head back in the toilet bowl regurgitating what was left of her drunken exploits. The beta placed a soothing, steadying hand on the alpha’s lower back and rubbed in circles trying to soothe sore muscles. In a few moments, the retching stopped. Raven stepped back, grabbed the next washcloth and prepared to rewash Anya’s face. When she turned to the debilitated woman, she saw storms crashing in her eyes. An overwhelming sadness sat heavily in her stomach. Ignoring her body’s demands, she dropped to her knees and carefully wiped her face clean.

Hazel eyes searched her face; fear shown plainly in her vibrant orbs.

Raven cleared her throat. “I’m sorry about everything. I should have come to you sooner. I wanted to keep you there with me. You weren’t supposed to run, to leave me. You were supposed to stay and yell and--”

“Make you hate and resent me. No thanks.”

The brunette ducked her head. “I deserved that, but I don’t resent or hate you. I don’t want our marks removed I want the dream, the house, the stupid fence and the annoying kids. And, I want them with you. Only you. Okay.”

A hesitant smile formed on the tall blonde’s face. “You must love me to be this close to me right now. I think I overdid it last night.”

Raven smirked at her. “I’ll get you water and an aspirin if I can find it. Why don’t you hop in the shower?”

“Brushing my teeth first. I swear their fuzzy.” The woman pushed to her feet and grabbed her toothbrush and paste. The latina watched her for a moment before leaving to retrieve the water and the pill. She still felt unsettled. Anya hadn’t tried to make contact. She returned to the bathroom to find the alpha stripped down to her lingerie leaning against the cold tile for support.

“Here. Drink this.” She followed orders, but the disconcerting lack of connection stayed.  
Raven moved around her to turn on the shower. “Where are the rest of the towels?”

Anya pointed to a cabinet on the far side of the room. With a nod, the beta walked over, retrieved what they needed and came back in time to see Anya hold on to the wall to slip her panties off her legs. Brown eyes followed the black lace to the floor. Raven glanced up to notice she had been caught appreciating the body in front of her. An upturned lip indicated her response, but Anya said nothing. She opened the shower door and stepped in leaving Raven to deal with the steam covered room and her own emotions.

“Fuck it.” She pulled her shirt over her head and unzipped her jeans in one swift motion. Peeling the tight pants off, she removed her lingerie and decided to connect on her own terms. “I don’t want you to fall and hit your head.” She stepped into the steam behind her mate and kissed her between the shoulder blades. “I can’t have you getting hurt.” A purr of approval vibrated through the room.

 

 


	12. Abby's Folly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby makes a bad decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This SHOULD have been published about 5 days ago, but then my lovely neighbor ran over the Comcast box next to the street. No cable, no wifi, no phone. School has AO3 blocked. So, yeah. Life got a little primitive there for a bit. Sigh.

She had supposed that in sobriety the bright openness of daytime would be the hardest to get through, but she knew she had been wrong about that. When the shadows danced on the walls, and the moon and stars kept her company her memories plagued her. Forgiveness from her child came far easier than forgiveness from herself. She longed for a day or night when she didn’t hate the face in the mirror. A day or perhaps a week passed when she thought that possibly seeing the contentment in her child could allow her to move on, but that proved false. Abby loved seeing her child blissfully happy. She enjoyed how passionately Clarke spoke of her art. But, watching her child paint left her awestricken. In the darkness of her room, she knew she had failed her son. She refused to make the same mistake with her daughter. But, then again her daughter had clearly stated she wasn’t her mother, not anymore. Her phone pinged with another incoming message.

Kane: I’ve missed you at the hospital. I won’t lie and say I’m not concerned that you might be passed out somewhere in need of help. You are such a good woman. I hate that you are poisoning yourself slowly. Remember, you have to forgive yourself before you can heal your relationships with other people. Rumor has it that you blame yourself for what happened to Clark. His death. But, I’ve heard an interesting rumor that he’s still alive. Changed. But, alive.

Abby: I doubt the hospital misses me except for when we have an emergency. The last few years I’ve been more of a liability than a good doctor. Maybe it’s time to retire and do something else. I don’t know.

Kane: Do you want to talk about it?

Abby: Maybe.

The time on her phone said 2:15 a.m. She debated calling him rather than texting. 

Kane: Meet me at Charley’s All-nighter. We’ll have an early breakfast and talk. I miss your face.

Abby: I don’t know if that is a good idea. I can’t leave where I am so easily.

Kane: So, you did check back into rehab?

Abby: Not exactly.

Kane: What then?

Abby: I’m in a safe house. Someone is after information that I have.

Kane: You need to seek more help, Abby. You’ve progressed more than I thought.

She reread the damning words on the screen. He believed she was mentally ill and that she hallucinated things to make her feel better about herself. 

Abby: I wish your diagnosis was correct and that none of this is real. But, unfortunately, this is real. Let me see if one of my bodyguards can escort me to Charley’s. I will get back to you soon. Seeing your face might make me feel less like I live in a cage. After having been here for two weeks, I am beginning to hate myself for what I did to Clark. I locked him in our house many times trying to turn him into something he was never destined to be. Go, what kind of mother was I?

Abby: I’m going to check with the minders. Maybe, I can meet. I’ll text in a few. 

She put on her coat and slipped shoes on her feet. With her cell phone, wallet and keys in her pocket she went out to seek permission to leave the grounds.

She opened the door to Lex’s home office and carefully threaded her way through the boxes of Aden’s thing clogging the hallways of Lex’s home laboratory. The moonlight shining through the front window lit her path. She ignored the knot forming in her gut and walked out without a torch to light her way. 

In hindsight, she would realize the futility of her action. She walked down the path to where the unmarked police car sat in the drive. Their nighttime sentry frequently sat in the car between bouts of checking the perimeter. She lifted a knuckle to rap on the glass. The door shifted with the impact indicating it hadn’t been properly closed. Intrigued by the discrepancy, she opened the door. She assumed whichever guard was here that she had to wait for them to return. She did not anticipate the body sitting at the steering wheel. When the body pitched forward as the seat belt shifted with the opening of the door, she screamed. A hand muffled the noise as arms wrapped around her.

“You know, it isn’t very difficult to steal someone’s phone. I can’t believe you believed Marcus Kane would suddenly reach out to you after not speaking for weeks.” The cold, pointed remark stung as the needle went into her skin. 

“Jaha, what are you doing here?” She tried to ask as her mind went blank.

****

She woke tied to Jake’s old recliner. Her throat felt dry from her injection.  
She moved her head around taking stock of her surroundings. Her prison appeared to be Clark’s abandoned bedroom. However, someone had moved Clarke’s painting from where she had hung it proudly in the living room. It now overlooked his bed. An eerie feeling clawed at her skin. Her son’s injecting kit lay sprawled across an end table. A new black balloon sat beside a silver spoon. 

The door squeaked open. Abby vaguely remembered Theolonious appearing behind her in the dark. “Welcome home, Dr. Griffin.”

“It’s been a long time.” She croaked her response.

He held a glass of water with a straw in it allowing her to drink.

“It has. The last time we spoke our sons had an unfortunate run-in at Mount Weather. Do you remember that?”

Abby closed her eyes feigning dizziness and nausea in hopes of buying time. ‘Should I agree with him or pretend or pretend I don’t’ Thelonious had always been a man with an explosive temper. His wife, Shirley, had been her close friend until the day she came into the ER with a cracked vertebrae from an ‘accident on the stairs.’ The distinctive large fingerprints around her wrist had forced Abby to ask questions that ended their friendship. Two months later the woman was wheeled in DOA with a massive cranial injury from another accident on the stairs. Mayor Jaha had been the grieving husband for as long as it took to fill out the paperwork. Abby knew he continued to believe women’s lives to be of little value, and, beta women’s lives nil.

“No, I can’t say that I do. When was that?” She slurred her speech convincingly. She could tell from the small upturn of his lips that she’d pleased the man.

“Don’t worry. It doesn’t matter now.” He pulled a chair near to her and sat down. “When we were much younger, I told you any friend of Jake’s is a friend of mine. Then, you married the man which means we must be good friends, right?”

She smiled broadly knowing the politician believed she felt those words. She doubted every single syllable he uttered. She had once told Jake that Jaha was so crooked he’d need to screw his pants on in the morning. “Friends. Why am I here Theo?”

“I need to know what you’ve done to help the investigation? I can’t have them looking into what we did for Wells or the other alphas of his generation. Their search could destroy many lives.”

She shook her head. “We wouldn’t want that.” She squeezed her eyes shut again trying to conjure a half-truth he could believe in enough to let her go. “They didn’t ask me about other people. They had old files. My name appeared in one. They asked me to confirm if it was Clarke’s. They used the remains of that one to extrapolate the data from his older files that they couldn’t read the paper but had the digital backup. I filled in the gaps. We didn’t talk about other people.”

He leaned forward menacingly with a wild look in his eye. “You wouldn’t lie to me Abby, would you?”

She sighed. “I’m sure you have someone on the police force. Ask them about the burnt files. They have a bunch that are singed at the edges. Ask them about the data backup/ It’s damaged but not impossible. That’s how I’ve helped. Please, call someone and ask.”

The distress in her voice announced her tears before they rolled down her face. He honored her request and made the phone call. Whoever he spoke to must have given similar facts as a smile graced his features. “Thank you. I appreciate your assistance. It’s nice to know I still have a friend when I need one.” Then, he hung up the phone and appraised Abby.

He gave her a friendly smile; Abby felt the malicious intent behind the facade. He pulled rubber tubing from Clark’s old kit and wrapped it around her arm.

“You can’t believe anyone is going to buy this. I’m an alcoholic, not a druggie. Everyone knows what my problem is.”

He lit a candle and melted the heroin on a spoon as she watched. His experienced hand with it worried her.

“They don’t have to believe you were an addict. They have to understand you were distraught over losing your son.”

She eyed her coat on the far side of the room wishing she could make one last phone call. She longed for her daughter to know that she’s loved. Regret filled tears rolled down her face as she watched him prepare her death.

But, a loud thump somewhere in the house made him freeze.

“Who else has keys to your house?”

“Me.”

“Then who would be coming to see you without knocking?”

“No one. No one drops in to see me. I have no real friends anymore. That should be that hard to believe. You remember how fast everyone cast me off as Clark got further out of control. After his disappearance, I was never welcomed back socially. So, that’s either a burglar or a friend of yours.” The resignation in her voice made it clear she thought it was his problem, not hers.

He stalked from the room carrying a bat in his hand.

Ears peeled for any noise, she waited.

And, waited.

Three shots punctuated the air. One hit outside her door. The resulting crash and grown suggested it had found its target.

She listened to scuffling and then all sound ceased. She sat quietly for what felt like forever, but in reality, probably only a few minutes.

“Help. Is somebody there?” She yelled out and hoped someone heard her, preferably not Jaha.

The bedroom door opened. Sellers entered first sprinting straight for the chair while Suarez continued speaking into her radio.

“Don’t worry, Dr. G. We’ve got you.”


	13. Moving Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby's saved.

The regular beep of a heart monitor gave her a sense of comfort. After Jake’s death, she spent most of her waking hours in the emergency room. The older Clark became, the more she retreated into her job. The sounds and smells of a hospital soothe her soul the way that paint does for her child. In the twilight in her head, Dr. Griffin chose to reenter the world of the living. She’d had allowed herself to wallow in the darkness too long.

Abby’s eyes fluttered open. The hospital bed, though nice, wasn’t from her hospital. She took in the IV coming out of her arm and felt the air coming from the cannula in her nose. She turned her head to the chair beside the bed. She recognized the cascade of golden curls she had become acquainted with in the last month. Cerulean blue eyes popped open as if sensing her awareness.

“You are awake.” Clarke grasped her mother fingers and gave a reassuring squeeze. “I’m so glad that they found you. We’ve been worried.”

The older woman linked their fingers. “He scared me and drugged me with something that left my brain muddled, my body dehydrated and my whole head wanted to explode. So, what happened after the detectives arrived.”

“Suarez said you passed out when they untied you from the chair. She thought it might have something to do with blood flow but brought you to Lexa as a failsafe. You’ve been out for the most of the day.”

Abby smiled at her daughter relishing the attention that would be short-lived. “How did they find me?” Clarke’s free hand fluttered up and down her mother’s arm, then nervously adjusted the blankets. Her daughter’s attention didn’t waver.

Clarke grinned. “Did you forget that Lexa put a tracker on all of our phones? I’m not sure what it says about us that she felt it necessary. Or, that she’s already had to use them twice.”

The two women shared a mischievous smile. “This reminds me of when you and Finn used to ride off on your bicycles when you were younger. I glued a tracker to your seat so I could find you again. How many times did I find the two of you someplace that you weren’t allowed to be?”

“Ha. Every time you looked. We very rarely went to the same place twice. Finn wanted the adventure. I wanted a friend.” A stormy sea overtook the sky blue of her eyes. “I wonder what he would think of the life I’ve found.”

Abby raised her hand to touch Clarke’s cheek. “Yours, he would have been proud of, it’s Raven’s that would have broken his heart. The love he had for her was strong, but she never realized that hers was puppy love. She would’ve outgrown him in another year or two. He never challenged her or forced her to grow. Finn was too simple for a girl as wild and passionate as Raven.”

“You would know all about that, wouldn’t you, mom?” A sharp note invaded Clarke’s voice before she uttered her apology. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. That was a long time ago, and both of you were hurting. Who am I to judge?”The melancholy in her mother’s eyes brought a frown to the blonde’s face.

“No, baby. You are right. I shouldn’t have. I’m your mother. I should have thought about what sleeping with a friend of yours would do to you. But, I was drunk and selfish. I could only see my needs when you so desperately needed me to see yours.”

A single tear escaped, but Clarke quickly wiped it away. “Different lifetime. Better late than never. Take your pick. I’m thankful that I still have my mother and that we are talking about things that mean something to me.”

***

  
Lexa watched her mate reminiscing with her mother. She dreaded the moment that Clarke had to explain that Suarez shot Jaha in their family home. Her living room carpet would have to be replaced as would her couch and coffee table. The man had pulled a hand cannon from his coat. The first grazed Suarez ruining her favorite jacket but causing no harm. To save herself and her partner, Suarez had aimed for his chest. She hadn’t anticipated him crouching down. Both bullets ripped through his skull creating a rain of pink matter, skull, and blood to ruin Abby’s favorite room.

“Mom, I’m going to go get your dinner. Lex can answer the rest of your questions. I’m afraid she knows far more than I do about what’s going on in the investigation.” Clarke’s fingers withdrew from her mother’s though anyone could see her reluctance to do so.

The blonde stepped closer to where Lexa leaned casually against the wall. Pale lips caressed her cheek as her omega buried her nose under the jaw. “Thank you.” She breathed out quietly. The alpha knew that the blonde didn’t want her mother to know how frightened she had been about her disappearance. Clarke hated to look weak and vulnerable, and Abby had caused that to be on display for her alone.

“I told you, I will always take care of those we love. That includes those that we want to hate. But, maybe it’s time to admit you love her as harshly as she loves you.” The alpha whispered the words in her lover’s ear and hoped they would land on forgiving ears. But, knowing she would probably not like what happened behind closed doors this evening.

Clarke pulled back slowly snaring forest green eyes. “She needs to eat. I will be back in a minute.”  
Lexa stepped further into the room eyeing Abby carefully. “How do you feel?”

The older doctor rolled her eyes. “I feel stupid for going outside the house to speak to one of our guards in the middle of the night. I should have called instead, but now I have a scared child, my body feels like absolute crap, and I know that a man died protecting us sitting in the driveway. Deep down, I know this space and your house aren’t as safe as we believe them to be.” Fire flooded the hazel eyes as she poured her pain and fear into every word.

Lexa took another few steps until she could hold Abby’s hand as Clarke had moments ago. “Who could have predicted that you would find a dead man? But, you are right. We are only as safe as we allow ourselves to be. We have to be vigilant at all times. I think it’s time for you and Aden to move into the house. Roan has been transported to witness protection. We will be safer in one house that has the best security system you can buy.” She sandwiched Abby’s hands between both of hers, “You must understand your loss would have devastated Clarke. I don’t know that he would ever fully recover if you died before she welcomed you into her life. The pain you caused runs deep, but her longing for your love is no less now than it has ever been. Give it some time, but I think you will find your daughter needs you in ways neither of you has realized.”

Abby’s mouth became a tight line as she fought her emotions. “Jaha died, didn’t he?”

“Yes.”

A rueful smile appeared. “Good. The bastard is evil. He’s a wife beater, and he had those experiments done on his son to make an omega into a beta. I wanted Clarke’s two halves to quit warring. I allowed her grandfather to dictate how that happened; a decision I will regret forever. Jaha was always power hungry. He even asked to have himself cloned. He was sorely disappointed with Wallace’s attempt failed.”

“Dante?”

“Cage.”

“You know, I bet Jaha’s hunting cabin still contains most of their records. He had meetings with Jake and a lot of other of the influential men. I wonder if they would help the detectives.”

Clarke carried a tray toward her mother’s bed. Lexa winked at her mate as she turned to leave, a proud glow emanating from her features.

“Baby, when she feels strong enough can you wheel her over to the main house. Aden and I have almost finished getting the last two guest rooms prepared.”

 

 


	14. Nia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nia begins to make her play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I get any nasty messages--no characters that are beloved will die in this fic. Not meant as a spoiler but Lexa and Anya's deaths still chafe.
> 
> I apologize for how long everything is taking. I am mentally exhausted. We have 2 weeks of teaching left but I have very little brain power left at the moment. To top it all off, I found out yesterday that another one of my former students has died. That is the 4th within the last year. Too many, too young...

Darkness surrounded her. She clawed helplessly at the rope tying her wrists to the front of her body. Trussed and uncomfortable, A piece of fabric brushed her lips as Anya sucked in as deep a breath as her constraints would allow. Her head pounded while pain radiated down her neck.The vehicle took a sharp turn on an incline slamming her back against hard metal. The dull thunk of the impact told her she had to be in a trunk; the air in the small enclosed space grew fetid with her rapid, pain-filled breaths. The tickle of cloth against her eyelashes plus that played around her lips reminded her of the moment she knew trouble had found her. 

 

_ “So, what forced you into babysitting duties?” Anya grumbled as Sellers walked with her across the busy parking lot.  _

 

 _The blonde woman cocked her head to the side. “More like I paroled myself from the office. I still can do paperwork sitting in a luxurious mansion just as well as I can sitting in an uncomfortable chair in a dank office._ _Do you want to explain to me why we ran to get ‘groceries’ but spent more time in a drugstore than Whole Foods?”_

 

_ The alpha ducked her head in embarrassment. “Raven’s smell changed. She hasn’t noticed yet, but I think she might we might have succeeded.”  _

 

_ Sellers misstepped and blinked. “Are you serious? I had no idea you two were even thinking that direction.” _

 

_ Anya’s stared confusedly at the detective. “Suarez and I haven’t...umm.” _

 

_ The two women stopped in front of the unmarked car. “You two are fighting again.” _

 

_ “I wouldn’t” her words cut off as her instincts kicked in to gear. _

 

_ The screech of tires as the brakes locked up in front of them didn’t provide enough time to combat the five bodies that flooded out of the truck. _

 

She groaned. The moment of capture evaded her memory, but the throb in her head told her she lost an argument with a blunt object. ‘What I wouldn’t give for cold water and a few aspirins.’ She fought back the growing fear and anxiety by controlling her breaths. With her daily meditation practice, Anya knew that centering her thoughts would be her only salvation.

***

 

“How long do I have to wait?” her voice growled in the empty room. Nia hated the rustic cabin in the woods. It reeked of dust and mothballs. Her hideout though safe from prying eyes provided only the most primitive of comforts. The last week in the middle of nowhere meant that she had to delegate from a distance ensuring that all her plans took longer to execute. Echo had not been her first choice for this job, but her availability and familiarity with the target made her the best choice. But, the ice queen didn’t like using untested help. She scrutinized her watch and ground her teeth together. Disappointment swirled underneath her skin. She hoped the younger woman knew that her life depended on the delivery. Frustration coalesced with wrath following quickly on its heels.

 

She heard the Hummer returning from its trek down the mountain long before she could see it kicking up dirt on the winding trail. A sinister grin eclipsed her anger. She exited the dank space and stepped out onto the porch.

 

She waited covered in leather and fur. “Greetings. Do you have the package?” Queen’s teeth gnashed together hinting at what the wrong answer could mean.

 

Echo shifted uncomfortably and lifted an eyebrow. “Have I ever failed you before?”

 

“You’ve only run errands before, nothing of consequence.”

 

“I must have done something correctly.” The dark-haired woman’s ego flared irritating the blonde.

 

“Barely, but if you had failed...you’re still breathing, aren’t you?” The threat would appear idle to anyone who didn’t know here. But, Echo shivered in response. The woman’s lover and child had died at Nia’s hand. The woman hadn’t failed her. But, Bellamy had. The younger woman opened the back hatch to the rugged vehicle and dropped the wriggling, cloth-wrapped body to the ground.

 

“Grmphadhf” The unintelligible growl came at impact. 

 

“Stop moving.” Echo implanted a boot in the trussed body’s side. “It would be a shame to have to kill you.” The head lifted and turned. Echo smiled feeling the glare coming through the cloth. “Hold still.” She grabbed the canvas and slowly unfurled it allowing blonde tipped golden brown hair to spill out. The dark haired woman cut a cord allowing her to free her captive of more of the cloth.

 

Anya’s piercing green eyes met Echo’s. “I can’t fucking believe you would do this to me.” 

 

Echo bent down to her old nemesis’s eye level. “I couldn’t believe it when you fucked my little sister. I couldn’t believe it when you fired me because I was five minutes late. I couldn’t believe it when you threw me under the bus for cheating in college.”

 

Anya’s anger waned. “The college thing, that wasn’t me.”

 

“No one else knew I had the answers for the exam. I told only you. I offered them to you, but you didn’t ‘need’ them. I did. So, who did you tell if it wasn’t you?”

 

The lithe woman shrugged. “That was a long time ago, a different lifetime. But, I promise I didn’t do that one. I hated that you were cheating, but with what had happened with Bell,  I understood why you felt the need to do it.” A wary look passed between the two women while Anya tried to see around the edge of the truck. “I know you won’t untie my hands, but can you loosen my ankles?” She nervously eyed the area not recognizing the terrain.

 

She heard the light steps of someone treading across the rocky soil as her old frenemy grinned down at her. “There is someone who has been dying to say hello.”

 

Ice blue eyes and alabaster skin told Anya who stood over her. The sneer on her lips, the regal posture proved to her that this meeting would not be pleasant.

 

****

 

Raven’s fingers gripped the throw pillow on the sofa. She sat waiting. Anya and the assigned officer’s shopping trip had lasted than she had anticipated. The note left on the bedside table had not been time specific, but she  _ assumed _ that it would be quick. She checked the time on her phone and stood. Pacing the floor to relieve the building anxiety, the beta fired off another text. She felt confused by the lack of an answer to any of her messages. Usually, her alpha answered quickly. The fact that no response came after two hours raised the hair on the back of her neck. With an annoyed huff, she tossed her phone on the couch before heading toward the stairs. She had wasted the last hour patiently waiting for Anya’s return. She knew knocking on Lexa and Clarke’s bedroom door would mean owning up to her insecurities. She hated admitting how much she needed her alpha. Her skin itched with Anya’s absence.

 

She raised her fist, knocked and waited. Surely, Lexa had spoken to Anya. Hopefully.


	15. Do I Have To Say The Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nia arc gets tied into a neat little bow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, this chapter didn't want to be written. I've fought with it forever and have decided to publish and be done with it even though I am less than satisfied with it. We only have a few chapters left and then these people will get their happily ever after.

Suarez slammed the phone down on the coffee table. Lexa squeezed Clarke’s arm as the woman buried her nose in her neck; stress played havoc with the blonde’s hormones. Pinched blue eyes peered up at the detective from where the omega sat. A keen whining occurred every time the alpha removed her fingers from where they played in blonde hair. Neediness plagued the blonde in ways neither woman could justify. It had only increased with the distress of the two women missing their mates. Raven sat on the edge of her chair; her left leg jogged up and down in time with he rapid heart beat.

 

“How much longer until we hear from them?”

 

The detective plopped down on the edge of Raven’s chair and ran a comforting hand around the feisty Latina’s shoulders. “I wish I knew. Right now they are zoning in on Seller’s car. But, they’ve also pinged Anya’s phone. All I know is that she is it’s several hours away. They are ignoring nothing.”

 

Silence fell harshly around them. Raven dropped her head onto the detective’s thigh. “I should’ve told her I loved her.” 

 

Suarez ran her fingers soothingly through the long dark hair. “I know what you mean.” She swallowed harshly. “I haven’t heard her voice in more than a week. We’ve stuck to texts and emails. Do you remember when I took a day off a couple of weeks ago?”

 

Raven looked up confused. “Do you mean the day you called in sick, but then you were hungover?”

 

The detective looked up amused, before her face morphed toward sadness. “I wanted to spend time with her. I bought groceries and fixed dinner, lit candles, picked great music, and then…”

 

Raven pulled away as the detective stretched and grabbed her phone; a message flashed across the screen. She swiped it away.

 

“What happened?”

 

“With what?” She half-answered reading the message.

 

“The dinner dumbass.”

 

Teresa looked up and caught Raven’s eyes. “She didn’t come home. I waited and waited.” She shrugged. “Work is more important. Always has been; always will be. It’s why she outranks me. She’s up for another promotion soon.” 

 

The detective’s phone came alive in her hand. Worry shown on her face as she answered. She sprinted for the kitchen out of earshot.

 

Raven stared at the door she disappeared behind, “Do you think it’s about Anya?”

 

Lexa patted the couch on the on her opposite side. Embarrassed, but needing the strength she settled in next to the alpha. Pheromones poured from Lexa’s skin as she kept one strong arm around each of the smaller women. Clarke remained close, but wanted her alpha to help her friend. Raven wanted news. Her bone deep need for her alpha surged in her chest. “I don’t think I could forgive myself if she dies not knowing how I feel about her.” 

 

Suarez came back in the room and sat on the coffee table in front of the three. Ashen she sunk to her knees crying. Soon arms wrapped around the detective. 

 

“What’s happened?” Lexa’s calm tone and comforting pheromones flooded the room. 

 

“Meagan’s alive. Barely. They are life-flighting her to the hospital. She’s lost a lot of blood and unconscious.” She blew out a shaky breath pulling back from her three friends. The knot in her chest loosened seeing all three women with reddened eyes, some with tears, some without. “I need to ask a favor.”

 

Raven sucked her teeth. “Don’t ask. We’re going whether you want us there or not.” The Latina stomped toward the stairs. “I’m going to put on comfy clothes for sitting around in horrible chairs, because I plan on staying until they bring me Anya.”

 

Lexa kissed Clarke’s temple and gave her a boost to follow after the beta. “She has the right idea. Get whatever you need. Chances are we'll be there for a day or more.

 

Teresa sat across from her friend waiting for some idea as to the alpha’s thoughts, but she stayed quiet. 

 

“Sorry. I don’t usually fall apart.” A reddening streak made its way down Teresa’s neck.

 

Lexa intertwined their fingers. “You have every right to fall apart. You held me together many times when Nia threatened us the first time. But, I learned to trust you, the police and my support system. Now, I have Clarke in my arms. We will do the best we can to take care of our family, you included.” 

 

***

 

Anya’s eyes went in and out of focus as she spit up blood. She turned her head away from the blonde woman glaring down at her. Echo watched from her spot on the far side of the room; her hands stayed in her pockets though the slight tremble in her arm suggested movement.

 

“I’ve hated you and your sister for a long time. We pioneered the research your corporation exploits. The Wallace’s and I saw the pathetic alphas our rich produced. We were making a fortune.”

 

Blonde hair swept over Anya’s shoulder as she pushed up on an elbow. “Ha. You killed them. How many of them died from the treatments? How many times did you have to cover up when one of them lost their minds?” A forceful kick knocked her head back. She rolled to her side in time for two more quick kicks to her ribs.

 

Nia towered over her victim. “God, you care about what happens to those fools. Why would you? What have the rich and important ever done for you?”

 

The asian beauty ignored the question as she pushed through the pain. “What gives you the right to play god?”

 

A loud crack filled the room. Nia stomped Anya’s ribcage one last time. Hazel eyes rolled back into the woman’s head as she lost consciousness. 

 

Echo shoved the older woman off the form on the floor. “I thought you needed answers from her. Killing her or knocking her out isn’t going to get you anywhere.” 

 

Nia’s eyes thinned in her glare. “What difference does it make? You serve me. I don’t work for you. Get that threw your head now or I will remove it. I can always find someone else. Am I clear?”

 

The brunette noticed the gun holstered under Queen’s coat. “Clear. I get it. I am expendable.”

 

“You should already know that truth from experience. Don’t take it personally. Everyone is. I killed my daughter when she got in the way. My son should be dead. He disappeared, but I’ll find him.” Nia backed toward the door. “I have a few phone calls to make. Come find me when she wakes.”

 

She waited for the door to close before she knelt down checked Anya’s pulse. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she put her hand out to feel the air flow coming from the gracile nose and lips. “Shit. An. I need you to open your eyes.”

 

One eye opened halfway. “I’m not ready for the bitch to come back.”

 

“Me neither. But, she won’t be gone long.” She cut the cords on Anya’s ankles and loosened the ones on her wrists. “I know you hate me. But, this isn’t what you think it is.” 

 

Shaking bloody fingers grabbed her by the coat pulling her down. “What do you mean?” The words vibrated in the near empty room. The solid thump of Nia’s boots could be heard stepping onto the porch decking. 

 

Echo gulped and licked her lips. “I”

 

Anya’s fingers wrapped around the tactical knife in the other woman’s coat. “Save it. She’s coming.” 

 

Echo carefully backed away nervously watching the woman struggle with rolling over onto her broken ribs to cover the blade in her fist. The door slammed against the wall; Nia sprinted into the room. “I don’t know who it is, but the woods are crawling with soldiers. Time to clear out.” 

  
  


Anya’s foot shot out tripping the older blonde on the way to the desk. Stunning the blonde and the brunette with her speed, Anya’s eyes glowed red as she buried the knife in Nia’s chest. 

 

“No one fucks with my family and lives.”

  
  


Echo grabbed her by the elbow and helped the bruised woman to her feet. “Sorry about this. But, she called making demands. We needed an in and well, you are you. I knew you’d get over it.” A sly smile crept across her face. “Bitches always have your back even if they are sticking a knife in it.”

 

Anya’s laugh cut short when the pain crashed into her. “Just get me home. I have a mate that needs me now.”

 

***

 

The smell of stale sweat and burnt coffee clung to the sticky vinyl chairs of the waiting room. Clarke sketched on a small pad while sitting on the floor. Lexa’s shin supported her spine where the blonde sat at her feet. Raven sat staring out the picture window watching the helipad on the second hospital tower.

 

“I keep thinking that they’ve forgotten to tell us they found her. What if I don’t know because she’s in with Sellers? What if Anya doesn’t make it back? What if they don’t find her until it’s too late?”

 

The loud sound of chopper blades settled over the room as the flat black gunship landed. Another hovered; it’s red and white body clearly marked it as a medical transport and another hovered waiting its turn. The brunette grew quiet as she watched a team assist two people onto the helipad, then it departed leaving space for lifeflight.

Suarez stepped into the room talking rapidly into the phone. “Right. Sending her down now.” A tired smile settled. “Sellers woke up a few minutes ago. She’s got a severe concussion and a dislocated shoulder. But, the ghost copter that just came and went had Anya.”

 

Raven melted into happy tears. “God, I’m a mess. Is she okay?”

 

“She will be once she smells you. I heard she’s got a few broken ribs, but she’s okay.”  

 

The tiny Latina’s mouth dropped open as a realization hit. “What do you mean when she smells me?”

 

Clarke wrapped her arms around the crying woman. “Your pregnant, Ray. It’s why you are emotions are playing havoc with my hormones.” 

 

Lexa laughed enjoying her mate’s open honesty; envious of Anya, but happy for both the women. “The treatment made you have more effect on her. Who knows; with any luck we will be having a pup right behind you.”

 

  
  


  
  
  



	16. Life Goes ON

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW: XEVN was able to write a very lovely CLexa scene. Ahem. I am not going to spoil it for you. I gave you a small plot bunny, but Xevn did the heavy lifting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to write another chapter or 2 and then bring the story to a close. Maybe Xevn will have more time to help. I'm not making promises. But, this made me so happy. I am not going to lie. I missed it.

A Few Weeks Later  
  
 Raven and Anya waited in the restaurant booth snuggled into each other. Although the cheap vinyl of the seating annoyed the CEO, for the first time in weeks, she felt like herself. Most of the bruising had faded from Anya’s skin leaving tinges of green and yellow that she easily hid with makeup. With one arm wrapped around her lover, the other stroked the growing baby bump while Raven fingered the small envelope in her hand.  
  
“Why do you think they are late? Lexa is never late.”  
  
The alpha brushed her golden brown hair away from her face as then checked the time. The other couple was now fifteen minutes late. She sighed.  
   
“True. Lexa’s never late, but when has Clarke ever been on time.”  
  
Her phone came alive in her hand chiming a message.   
  
Sorry. Can’t make it. Clarke’s heat hit on our way to the restaurant. Check on us in a few days.   
  
Anya laughed. “I’m sorry, babe. They can’t make it. It seems Clarke’s in heat again.”  
  
Raven's lips curled in amusement.“Isn’t this her third since your kidnapping? They even blamed the first one on me saying my smell triggered her. How does that even make sense?” Scoffing at the blonde’s sensitivity, the latina hoped her friend would soon level out.  
  
With a smirk on her lips, Anya nodded. “I wonder if Lexa is regretting treating her Omega gland yet. If they keep knotting this, often her dick will fall off.”  
  
“Since they aren’t coming, should we still wait for Abby or go ahead and order?”  
  
The older woman materialized almost as if she were summoned to the area with a quick wave. Raven grinned noticing the woman had thrown a hoodie over her scrubs. “Nevermind. I guess it will be the three of us.”  
  
Raven stood to hug the doctor. “Clarke and Lexie are skipping out on us.”  
  
Abby pulled her glasses out of her pocket and perched them on her nose. “Again? Trust me. You’ve seen this show too many times as it is. The good news is that I think Clarke can conceive which should fix the problem. The bad news is that their house smells like a brothel after the ships come into port.”  
  
All three women died laughing when Anya reminded them that several officers had to interview the inhabitants of the house about the events of the last year while enduring the pheromones from Anya, Rave, Clarke, and Lexa. “God, don’t you know we’re the talk of the police department.”  
  
As the giggles dissipated, Abby noticed the small white paper clutched between Raven’s fingers. “Is that what I think it is?”  
  
She slid the paper over to Abby in one smooth motion. “Open it.”  
  
The older woman’s face beamed. “I’m assuming this image is two fetuses, not a peanut.”  
  
Anya’s wide grin showed more teeth than Abby had ever remembered seeing from her. Happiness looked good on the healing face that glowed in health and happiness.” She flipped her long hair away from her face making it easier for anyone to see the painful reminder of recent events. “The stress from worrying about me concerned the doctor. He asked for ultrasounds early. Now, we will get to see the babies every few weeks. He’s decided she’s high risk because of her size and it being twins.” She pulled Raven in closer to her body. “I wouldn’t want to sacrifice her even for them.”  
  
The tiny beta lay her head on the alpha’s shoulder. “I almost lost you. I am NOT returning the favor. Ever.”  
  
Abby used a finger outlining the images before her. “I hope Clarke and Lexa are successful soon. I’d like to be a grandmother before I’m too old to enjoy it.”  
  
“We were wondering if you could be their grandmother as well since my parents died while Clarke and I were still in school.” Raven’s vulnerable confession brought tears to the doctor’s eyes.  
  
“I’d love to Ray.” She grasped the tan hand across from her on the table hoping to squelch any insecurities she might be having.  
  
Tears rolled down the beta’s face. Anya, ever vigilant in caring for her mate, cupped her face and kissed away the tears.   
  
“You two are disgustingly cute even in public.”  
  
The alpha blushed while trying to appear smug. “I prefer to stay private, but her hormones keep me from thinking straight.”  
  
“That’s it blame it on the woman you knocked up, furball.” Raven teased while staying tucked into Anya’s side. The brief flash of red in her irises told the beta that her mate appreciated the dig.  
  
***  
  
“Foolish-” The outspoken thought was sharply suppressed by a pair of warm, soft lips.  A steaming wet heat radiating from the freshly showered skin seeped through Lexa's crisp-iron-pressed clothes.  The fabric bunched and tightened uncomfortably under the humid climate, successfully suffocating the occupant.  No amount of adjusting could ease Lexa’s discomfort.  
  
A low thud from the abandoned phone hitting the carpeted floor left Lexa’s eager hands idling.    
  
Elated by her results, Clarke upped the ante and ground her sex in a languished pattern of elongated rolls over the swelling meat jailed beneath the layers of fabric. Sticky arousal painted damp streaks over the stitched material as a minute taste of her scent tickled the alpha’s nostrils.    
  
Feigning a phlegmatic approach to coax her mate, Clarke cherished the barely audible groans escaping the tightly coiled throat.  The displeasure of showering alone left the blonde vengeful. ‘A desultory fuck wasn't much to ask for.’ Chiding Lexa in her thoughts, she intended to torment the brunette, alternative to having lunch with her family. And, yes, that meant punishing the alpha for that discrepancy too.  
  
Caressing the defined jaw within her palms, the omega teased her fingers over the smooth shamefully-blushed skin.  “You should have joined me for a shower.” She whispered into an enticingly heady kiss, dizzying the recipient in a sweet intoxication of desire.  Pressing her pebbled nipples and plushly-moist breasts into the cotton long sleeve button up she felt the alpha’s abs flex against her torso.    
  
Lexa hesitated, her arms shifted absently before surrendering to listlessness in place.  “Bad wolf; seems you need to be taught a lesson.”  Breathing heavily, Clarke traced a wet trail around the brunette’s line pressed lips seeking entrance between them.  
  
Relenting, Lexa murmured her agreement granting the probing tongue access to her mouth. The slick, spongy digit tasted the salivating cavern and tangled in a dueling dance soliciting more participation from the passive partner.  
  
The provocation lured Lexa's torpid hands into action.  Grasping the toned naked thighs straddling hers the alpha pondered if her bare goddess suspected the irregularity of her slightly fortified continence.    
  
Bolder than expected; Clarke's ministrations steadily diluted the chemically strengthened resolve leaving very little to contain the ravenous wolf.  Frustrated with her partner’s ambition to test her boundaries, the alpha’s shoulders tugged backward in a muted warning.    
  
“Ah, don’t you dare raise your hackles at me.”  Clarke instantly halted her exploration and correct the alpha’s behavior.    
  
Grumbling, Lexa assessed her position.    
  
Trapped under the lithe frame, the brunette allowed her mate to continue nipping and sucking on her lips, feeding off the delicately delectable moans spawned from the blonde's perilous exploration.    
  
Constriction; a maddening feeling.  Swollen and making its concupiscent demands known, Lexa’s fingers strain to keep from leaving unwanted marks along the perfectly-smooth porcelain flesh. Determination mixed with the specially crafted suppressants, thankfully negating her urge to fuck Clarke raw.  
  
Cognitively, the alpha abstained and subtly jutted her hips forward in her leather armchair to created a small vacant space for her rear to slip into, alleviating a fraction of the pressure confined within her pants.  Oddly, her mate mistakenly took this action for an invitation, but she isn't one to stop the fumbling hands from unbuttoning her trousers. No, that would be cruel.  Instead, she kept her grasp firm to balance the blonde and rewarded her efforts with an encouragingly-hungry kiss.   
  
Plotting the destruction of Lexa’s infuriating pants, Clarke smirked into the kiss once a plan appeared in her mind.    
  
Freeing the engorged cock from its fabric cage, she was graced with a relieved moan along with a noticeable twitch from the stiffening member. Fingers traced over the ridges and veins accentuating the fleshy rod in a teasing fascination much to the brunette’s dislike. But this wasn’t about her alpha’s needs, ‘I am hoping to provide a better experience, one you can control.’ Lexa’s professional tone played over the latter’s currently grumbling whines.    
  
‘Good intentions, right Lex?’  Clarke mentally snarked. Clearly, her intellectual mate miscalculated and the omega relished the remarkable occurrence.  Abating her primitive nature gave Clarke a reprieve, but with an unclouded mind, she sought experience. Fucking like brutes may pacify her needs, but now she had a chance to taste the nuances lost in the haze.    
  
Taste them- no, she intended on devouring them. ‘Poor Lexa.’  
  
A moment passed as purposeful hands adjusted the fabric around the alpha’s cock, the sound of her trousers zipper clinking halted the desperate lips.  Meeting cool blue eyes in question, a delicate pad of her mate’s finger halted Lexa’s inquiry.  
  
Sensing the bunched up material around her cock Lexa painted a picture in her head.  Clarke ensured she couldn’t be knotted.  She cleverly crafted a barrier, much like the glory holes one would find in many of the sex clubs, but no wall to restrict the participants' interactions.  ‘That’s my girl.’    
  
Yanked from her prideful rumination by the slick feel of hot velvet delicately sliding over her cock caused her fingers to tense around the supple thighs, “Fuck.”  Lexa’s growl died in her throat leaving a weak whimpering groan that waned on the slow exhale. Overwhelmed by the sensation the latter squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, temptation nearly tipped the delicate balance of her restraint.  
  
“That’s the inevitable outcome.”  Clarke moaned with a haughty tone as she shifted into a seated position still straddling the alpha’s legs.  Taking in every inch exposed of the thick -but still very lengthy cock- to the last millimeter she found a new appreciation for her muted heat.  Filled; stretched in all the right ways.  She could feel the balmy-textured member pulsating within her channel, twitching with unobtrusive zeal.   
  
Legitimately, Lexa offered herself to her omega’s unpredictable mercy.  Bewildered by the change in their dynamics, Clarke nearly strayed in the query if not for the subdued whine from her alpha.    
  
Wet warmth percolated through her pants further stirring the brunette’s desire to shamelessly rut into her omega.  Thankfully, though, she wasn’t completely lost to her libido, a check mark on the mental list of side effects she managed to keep track of.    
  
A slow and precise rhythmic pattern emerged as Clarke continued her curious exploration.  The hot, languid breaths against her cheek was an exquisite sensation she never had time to appreciate.  She longed for more and buried a hand into the brunette’s tamed tresses to draw her closer.  She needed to be worshipped- no she wanted to know what it felt like to be worshipped in a sensual sense.  
  
The alpha knew exactly what Clarke demanded of her- tracing her lips over the smooth line of her mate’s jaw- she peppered a trail of deliberate kisses down the blonde’s neck paying extra attention to the sensitive skin over Clarke’s clavicle.  No teeth, just lips, and a diligent tongue paid homage. Everything done had a purpose, the subservient position gave her more than just causality.  Her attentive behavior permitted un-obstructive insight,  correlation went beyond fucking, love transcended the centuries of instilled behavior.    
  
Lexa yielded to her goddess and loved every moment of it.   
  
Astonished; Lexa found a peculiar satisfaction in the act and lingered briefly over her self-restraint.  No raging-need making demands, she was capable of savoring every small detailed action and its reaction.  Shallow breaths hitched in the blonde’s throat periodically caused by a precise strike from the alpha’s hard cock.  Profound strokes tugged at the fleshy walls, sending faint tremors throughout Clarke’s composed body.  Muscles tensed while the omega’s movements stuttered whenever the brunette hesitated in her rhythm.  
  
Lexa’s discovery led to the understanding of the meaning “crawling on her knees” for the blonde beauty. Metaphorically thinking of course.  
  
Devout and content with her studious inspection Lexa finally relaxed into their sensual dance.  She slowly moved her hands towards Clarke’s lusciously-appetizing rear and palmed the flesh greedily.  Each leisurely roll of the omega’s hips had the brunette squeezing the supple meat holding her mate a second longer to drive her cock deeper. The damp slickness pulling taut around the head of her dick in a measure to capture the robustly pleasurable intruder within a suffocatingly tight bliss.  Fluttering need vibrated through the burning core leaving satisfying clenches of Clarke's inner walls around the alpha’s girthy shaft.  Pleasure pulsated on every upbeat and barely diminished on the downbeats.    
  
Clarke’s fingers mimicked the tensing muscles for a few strokes before pressing Lexa’s head further into her chest- silently demanding her alpha to taste more of her naked form.  Lips, teeth, and tongue paid time to appreciate every ounce of flesh donated.  Burying her nose into the thicks locks over her mate’s crown, she kissed wordless apologies for the demand and breathed in hints of the brunette’s scent- now reduced to an enjoyable level that wouldn’t overwhelm her.  
  
‘What wouldn’t my brilliant alpha do for me?’  She cherished the thought and thanked what powers drew them together.    
  
The slapping sounds of Clarke’s apex meeting the soaked fabric casing around her hips drew the alpha deeper into her actions.  Her tongue continued to the study the soft surface, being this close she detected the faint textured lines where the synthetic skin had been spliced together.  Vibrant green eyes rolled upwards, basking in the beauty of her work of the towering outstretched chin.   
  
Arching her neck backward to hide the indignant expression, skin stretched along the omega’s throat leaving a pleading strip of flesh in its wake.    
  
Lexa wasted no time exploring the exposed path, her spongy digit ventured up the expanse at a leisurely pace before flicking over the tip of Clarke’s chin.  A low rumble of appeasement captivated the brunette and beckoned her closer to be greeted by tantalizing lips in a passion-laced kiss.   
  
Exhaustion humbled the omega’s arms, forcing them to find purchase over her mate’s sturdy shoulders, but she refused to release her grasp of sex tussled hair.  Free to roam, the other hand drew a line across the flexed-muscle exterior of the alpha’s back, the pads of her digits drinking in every dip, curve, and plane that comprised the solid landscape.     
  
Clarke’s index finger teased each notch protruding from Lexa’s spine almost distracting the alpha from her task of dominating their kiss. Risking to tip the balance further in this experiment of wills, the omega tired of subtlety and shoved the brunette downwards until her lips captured the pebbled flesh of her nipple.  Teeth pinched and scraped over the taut skin in between soothing flicks of the latter’s tongue. Pinpricks rippled, moans deepened, and hands trembled in their hold.  
  
Jogging her hips in a flurry, she reached the pinnacle of her arousal.  Muscles tellingly twitched, and Clarke’s inner walls fluttered, but the brunette continued her steady pace.  Hands kept the firmly clenched globes in place as the blonde stretched and arched her body backward.  Lexa studied the contorted form in awe, paying long, strong strokes of affection into the begging channel, but held her goddess over the edge with nowhere to go.  The alpha wanted to draw this pleasurable sight out for as long as she could, but eventually, the omega balled her fist in the tangled hair and yanked; commanding the alpha to tend to her need.  
  
Adhering, Lexa’s hands groped the fleshly round meat with a defined purpose and jammed the blonde’s hips into hers.  Slamming her thick hard cock deliberately, she relinquished control and devoted her being to the blonde’s arousal.  Her thrumming hot dick dragged through the swollen channel, raking the pulsing walls with apt attention to ensure her member never completely left the omega’s cunt. Just the tip nestled in the ridged valley of the blonde’s drenched sex before a stern rock of the alpha’s hips plunged the dense, stiff rod back into its coveted sheath.   
  
Hissing obscenities and chanting Lexa’s name, Clarke cradled the alpha within her arms wishing to absorbed the brunette as she couldn’t physically draw the warm body any further without divine intervention. Her climax tickled her toes and pinged up along her legs before burrowing deep inside her core.  Her whole body tightened around the alpha in anticipation of the last bit of fuse line burning and in a scream that would leave her voiceless later on her body exploded in ecstasy.    
  
The alpha nearly lept out of the chair to catch the blonde from falling backward; she drew Clarke’s quaking body back into her embrace.  Slowly sliding her dick inwards, Lexa played conductor to the symphony of bliss consuming her mate.  She nuzzled into the omega’s neck and braced herself while her hips worked their diligent pace.  Each clench from the sweltering cunt stoked the alpha’s need to knot; only her desire to please the blonde dissuaded the alpha’s instinct.  
  
Enthralled by the beautiful goddess draped around her, Lexa kept her wolf at bay, diligently waiting for approval.  The suppressant dissipated rapidly, leaving her senses unshackled and provoked.    
  
Clarke’s pheromones spiked and drowned the alpha’s nose dilating green with quenchless black desire.  Groaning languidly with the senseless pattern of her cock’s gluttonous need Lexa’s jaw coiled as she buried her nose deeper into the hot pulse-point of her mate’s neck.  A feeble attempt to brace herself against the tempest raging between her granite-like thighs.  Pain washed over her strained back as she tensed to seize any unwanted actions.  
  
Thankfully her goddess bestowed mercy, “Knot me.  I need you to knot me.” Nails raked over the fabric exterior finding a crushing hold in the protruding muscles.  “Fuck, Lexa, please.”  The sharp exhale left the omega’s mouth in a hoarse needy tone.      
  
Abruptly standing with the blonde wrapped around her, the alpha cleared the desk in one quick sweep of her arm.   Savagely slinging Clarke onto the hard cherry oak surface both hands tore apart the mess of fabric around her cock.  Lexa snorted in thought, soaked thoroughly; these pants were beyond saving.  Tearing the button free, she jammed the material down enough to the edge of her ass to expose her painfully pulsing dick and swollen knot.  Glistening with her mate’s nectar and some precum, the almost purplish member bobbed under its weight.  
  
Driving her cock deeply into Clarke’s slick-yet sporadically clenching cunt, she grabbed the pale hips and brought them up against her chest.  Pounding vigorously into the taut core, Lexa felt the blonde slipping over the slick surface and tugged her back into place.  Grasping the fleshy meat of the blonde’s hip, she firmly held the omega in place.   
  
Rolling on the balls of her feet, she rocked her full body mass into the quivering velveteen center; she squeezed her much too large knot through the convulsing walls.  Stretching and almost tearing the tense skin, an elastic-pop flicked the bulgy base and encased the knot like a warm glove.    
  
The subtle tremors pulled the alpha over the ledge and into the burning chaotic mess of an orgasm.  Thick, steaming ropes of seed caked the omega’s cunt as Lexa howled at the ceiling in relief.  Hands swept over Clarke’s lengthy flesh and found purchase over the meshy orbs to steady the brunette during the second string of quakes.  Much of her cum pooled within her mate’s core, but with the additional climax, a small sticky stream amassed on the cool shiny surface of her desk.  
  
Both disoriented and panting needed a moment to compose themselves.    
  
“Mind explaining yourself?”  Clarke’s cryptic question caught the brunette off guard.  
  
Exhausted green hooded eyes greeted the omega in a shocked query.  
  
“I’m not stupid.  If I were the only one on these new suppressants, you would have had me on this desk way sooner than later.  So fess-up before I make you come again.”  A gentle clench of her sex had the alpha’s knees quaking.  
  
“Fuck! Fine! Just stop, and I will talk.”  Hissing Lexa braced herself over the desk trying to catch her fleeting breath.    
  
Another cruel squeeze had the brunette wincing.  “We are not going to talk like this, pull me back into the chair and hold me damn it.”  Clarke huffed flicking Lexa’s nose with a mean strike of her finger.  
  
“OUCH! CAN YOU JUST WAIT SECOND!?”  
  
“NO! I cannot, my back is cold, and this desk is not playing nice with my spine.” Another flick, “MOVE ASSHAT!” Three more hits had the brunette scrambling to find her balance.  “Woah, cool your jets I am a delicate flower, not some loading ramp, pick me up and take me with you or so help you aren’t getting your dick back!”  
  
Seething through a clenched jaw, “Make up your goddamn mind, woman!”  
  
“Aw babe you are sweet, it's been awhile since you addressed me properly.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“You know, woman.  It makes me all kinds of giddy hearing you address me as such.”  
  
“Oh my god.”  Groaning she felt another flick.  
  
“Goddess.”  
  
“Take the dick. I don’t care anymore.” Whining, Lexa halted all movements until Clarke reached up and wrapped her arms around her.  
  
“I love it attached to you.”  
  
Shaking her head in thoughtful bemusement, she collected the blonde and sat back into her armchair.  “Better?”   
  
“Much.”  
  
“Good.” Sighing she composed her thoughts.  “It would have been a selfish venture to make you a guinea pig, so I tested a suppressant on myself hoping to stay true to my word.  I wanted to give you an experience that mattered.  If I hadn’t taken it myself, we would have been on my desk much sooner like you said.”  
  
“I see.”  
  
“You deserve to know how I feel about you beyond procreation and self-preservation.  I don’t love mating you, I like it, but I wanted something more for you.  The real fulfillment that can’t be found in our animalistic behavior.  Though, I enjoyed the foreplay more than I expected.”  
  
“So that was all foreplay to you?”  Addressing the question in a serious tone her eyes twinkled with a light-hearted gleam.  
  
“Don’t cut my dick off.”  
  
“I won’t.  I like what it’s attached to anyways.”  
  
Kissing the blonde’s temple, Lexa tightened her embrace,  “I will never stop trying to give you everything you deserve in this life.  Pleasure, acceptance, and kids.”  
  
“Kids?”  
  
“Yeah, I’m thinking maybe 5 or 6 pups if I am lucky.  I figure: if you are thoroughly enjoying yourself I can maybe gain a pack.”  
  
“Woah Woah Woah, let’s settle for 1 and work on the rest later.”  
  
“I love you.”  
  
“I love you too,”  Clarke whispered into a chaste kiss.  
  
  
  
       
  



	17. A New LIfe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xevn wrote the bulk of this one. NSFW.

6 Months Later

  
“But, Anya the beans want chocolate ice cream, not kale. Our beautiful babies aren’t health nuts like you.” With her protruding belly preventing her from moving closer to the table, the latina pushes the offending bowl away from her.

Anya dropped the dish towel to the butcher block cabinet top, and a stretched her arms forward to lean heavily on her palms to glare at the mother of their soon-to-arrive children. “You need more greens in your life. In the last week, you have consumed donuts, tacos, peanut butter straight from the jar, two gallons of Extreme Moose Tracks ice cream and honey barbecue potato chips. The babies require nutrition, not junk food.”

Raven smirked and then bit her lower lip. Her eyes glinted mischievously. “When was the last time you read the nutrition label on the peanut bar jar? Two tablespoons of protein, 22% of my daily iron requirement and it has 189 milligrams of potassium. Ice cream is made from milk. Now, can I please have a reasonable dinner meant for people with more than one working tastebud?”

Resigned, “What does that consist of? And don’t say Tacos, because I am not in the mood to cook those for the billionth time.”

“I wouldn’t mind breakfast for dinner. Bacon, eggs, pancakes. I will skip the syrup for fresh fruit and whipped cream if it makes you happy.” Fire danced in her flashing brown eyes. “I bet we could find something fun to do with the extra whipped cream.” Her eyebrow arched. “You always look delicious to me, but with a little work we could make you into a calorie-filled dessert.”

Tan cheeks flushed ruby red, “How hungry are you?”

“Famished.” Tracing her tongue over her lips in a suggestively slow pace the two stared each other down waiting for the other to make the first move. “I could really go for a protein-rich meal.” Slipping a finger beneath the top button resting over her cleavage she popped it open with a flick. “Are you going to cook or be the meal? I have my preference, but we both know what I want.”

A white-knuckled fist curled tightly, as she swallowed. Her tongue felt thick. Her pulse raced. The red glow of Anya’s eyes centered on the newly bared skin. “Taunting me isn’t fair.”

“Only if I didn’t plan to deliver.” Raven pushed her ungainly body from the chair. “I tell you what. I am going to wander into our bedroom and strip these clothes from my body. If my alpha would like to come to see to my needs, that would be wonderful.” Though her belly hung low with the weight of the twins, she put an extra sway to her hips with each step out of the room.

  
Raven kicked her leggings off in the hallway. She dropped her black lace panties that were barely larger than an eyepatch, picked them up with her toes and dangled them from the doorknob. She whipped her shirt over her body ignoring the cumbersome feel of the movement. She placed her hands on her lower back arching and stretching. One of the babies kicked to cheer her on; what’s good for the mother is good for all of them. Grabbing her body pillow from the night before, she arranged it to support her lower back as she lay on her side with one leg propped up to welcome her wife into the room. She longed for the heat of Anya’s skin, the taste of her lips and the tanginess of her seed. It had been too long since her alpha laid claim to her body.

Stumbling into the room with pants around her ankles and a partially peeled off t-shirt, Anya refrained from diving head first between her mate’s thighs. Discoordinated attempts to remove the fabric like shackles in the hallway re-organized the decorative furniture and added a few new bruises to the alpha’s skin. Desire laced eyes feasted on the naked flesh, “You are so goddamn beautiful.”

“Thanks. Now stop fucking me with your eyes and get your cock over here.” She snarked in a teasing tone.

“Yes, ma’am.” Anya chirped taking a step towards the bed with her pants catching and successfully tripping her into a faceplant on the foot of the mattress.

“Sex before the kids are born, if you could please.” Rolling her eyes, Raven reminder herself that she loved this idiot.

Crawling onto the bed with a dopey grin, Anya kicked a foot free and kissed her way up the latina’s leg. “Babe-” Breathing the endearment under a low tone of annoyance, the alpha met eyes with her mate. “Forgive me, but it's been 8 months without sex. Two ruts without release and constant complaining about how your fun-bags are painfully swollen. My cock is practically tungsten at this point and coordination is non-existent.”

Snorting a laugh through her nose, “My fun-bags are painfully swollen?!”

“Your boobs- you complain a lot about them and won't let me play with them.” Shamefully dropping her head, Anya waited for the laughing storm to pass.

Burying her hand in the thick locks of her alpha’s hair Raven scrapped the clump into a fist and tugged. “Well stop screwing around and pick a hole before your dick falls off.” Pulling her mate up to her breast she reached for the elastic band around Anya’s waist and yanked until the fabric unpleasantly bunched up her ass. Anya’s teeth dragged over the pebbled skin, painfully pinching the beta’s nipple. “NO BITING!” She slapped the alpha’s face, “MY FUN-BAGS ARE SUPER SENSITIVE!”

Retreating out of the strike zone, “Well you are crushing the boy.” Taking the small break from being smothered Anya pushed off her boxers and soothed over the sore bulge at the base. “He’s a sensitive guy too, you know.”

“I’m sorry, I am just really horny and feel so bloated.” Giving an unsure smile, Raven placed her hand over Anya’s, “Let’s try this again, and I promise I won’t hurt him this time.”

“All you want me for is my dick.” Anya feigned hurt.

“Not true. I’m rather fond of your fingers and tongue too.” Teasing her mate with a wink, she pulled Anya’s fingers up to her mouth and captured a digit with her lips.

Letting out a slow pleased moan, “I can live with that.” Disappearing beneath Raven’s engorged breast, she kissed a path down the swollen belly. Both hands came to rest on the plush thighs while the beta relaxed back against the comfy pillow. The alpha went to work tasting her lover’s hidden treasure, savouring it’s splendor unsure when she would get to visit again. Hardly expending much effort, Anya resurfaced wiping her mouth clean, “That was fast. Seems I haven’t lost my touch.”

Screwing her features, “What do you mean? I am not even there yet?”

“Baby, you gushed all over my mouth.” The triumphant smirk drained from her face when the quizzical look from Raven flushed with concern.

“I think my water just broke,” Raven stated.

“Oh,” Anya responded calmly before fainting with her head planted between the beta’s thighs.

 

 

****

Abby turned the page in her magazine glaring at the couple on the couch across from her. Clarke’s head lay on Lexa’s shoulder while her alpha read through an inches thick research proposal. Loving and considerate, the CFO tended to lose all sense of time and space when a beloved project crossed her desk. Now, she used the materials to entertain herself while waiting for her godchildren to arrive. However, the pale fingers of the blonde inched up the inside seam of the CFO’s suit pants. Occasionally, a fingernail or tip would brush ever so slightly against the outline of her sex. Clarke pretended not to notice the growing situation she created.

“We’re in public dear.” Her mother’s eyes met hers above the rim of her glasses.

The blonde looked around the room. “It’s 3 a.m. in the maternity ward. Raven is the only delivery. Look around. How many non-essential personnel do you see? Hell, how much essential personnel? I saw a nurse an hour ago. Other than that, it’s been quiet.” Clarke huffed in frustration. Ignoring her mother’s discomfort, she uncrossed her legs and ran her hand from the inside of Lexa’s knees to a finger’s breadth from indecency.

Tightening her grasp on the stack of papers, Lexa shifted in her seat trying to escape her mate's cruel teasing . The fabric tugged at the semi-erect cock, stirring a low whine from the alpha’s lips. “Clarke.” She warned under her breath, warding off the prodding fingers.

The open room drew silent, only the sound of the clock ticking seconds away filled the void. Exhaustion strained the vibrant green eyes, as words flickered and disappeared from the page. Flustered, Lexa deemed the task useless and discarded the papers in the empty seat beside her. Rubbing the irritation from her forehead, she lingered on thoughts of Clarke and the blatant teasing.

“Coffee.” She barely mumbled the word to completion before the omega launched out of her seat.

“Coffee sounds great,” Abby added, cutting off Lexa’s attempt to reiterate her meaning. “Hopefully after your trip to the cafeteria, Clarke will be on her best behavior.” Giving the alpha a knowing wink she went back to reading her magazine.

***

With a click, Lexa locked the private bathroom door and faced her mate. “This isn’t the cafeteria,” Clarke smirked.

“It’s not open this late.” Crossing her arms, she stared down the mischievous omega expectantly. “Besides you have other things on your mind other than coffee and a walk to the cafeteria.”

“Oh, so now you want my attention.” Stepping into the alpha’s personal space, the blonde brushed her lips over the latter’s cheek. A hand painted down the tensed torso and rested over the belt buckle.

“Sex in front of your mother isn’t a turn on.” Grasping the omega wrist, she pressed the palm against the swollen bulge in her pants. “But relentlessly pestering me while I am trying to work, is.” Wrapping her arm around her mate’s waist, Lexa drew Clarke into a hungry kiss. Teeth tugged at the soft petite lips, sucking them in for a better taste before the alpha’s tongue demanded entry.

The omega’s hands wrestled the leather free from the buckle and pulled the pants open. Heat bellowed out from the confined space, the alpha’s cock strained against the mesh fabric of her boxers and grew larger in the cool air. Clarke’s hand delved inside the elastic band seeking the pulsing flesh. Palming the tip she coaxed a moan from her mate, capturing the latter’s tongue between her teeth.

Moving the alpha back towards the sink counter, she released her bite and latched onto Lexa’s pulse point. Teeth scraped over the warm skin eliciting low groans of pleasure from the brunette as she relaxed into the tempting attention. Lavishing long licks left streaks of heated wet flesh to cool in her absence.

Wanting to taste the blonde’s lips again, Lexa clasped Clarke’s chin delicately drawing her into another kiss. Her fingers smoothed over the soft jawline and buried into the thick golden locks. She devoured each muted breath, thrusting her throbbing member through Clarke’s soft hand slickened with pre-cum. More. Her wolf demanded.

Breaking for air, she removed her hand from Clarke’s hair and placed it over the omega’s, clutching and guiding the tension, but not daring to ask for more. Azure orbs shined with intention before dilating with desire, “Just relax.” The omega’s sultry voice instructed.

Dropping to her knees, Clarke slipped Lexa’s slacks down taking the boxers with them. The alpha’s engorged cock bobbed free smacking against her taut abdomen. The omega salivated at the sight of the pulsing red flesh. The musky scent of her alpha’s desire sent an electric chill to her core, want seeping from her folds and soaked through the silk fabric.

Taking a hands-off approach, she traced a single line up the shaft of the balmy member and swirled her tongue around the head. A strangled breath hissed from the alpha and hands clenched the counter’s edge. Lips pressed kisses over the tip, opening slightly to fest on morals at a time.

Radiating wet warmth encompassed the sensitive flesh, earning more throaty moans from the shuddering alpha. Her hips threatened to move, but Clarke’s tongue demanded submission. Firmly messaging patterns around the sheathed parts of the member the spongy digit tasted every detail. Wanting more, the omega tested her limits sliding down the massive cock until throating it. Finding a balance between comfort and desire, she couldn’t take anymore without gagging.

Retracting until just the tip rested in her mouth, she fisted the saliva lubricated meat and slid her hand down the shaft. Throating the pulsing hot cock again she moved her hand in time with her mouth. Sucking long slow tastes, she brought the alpha’s moans to pleads for more. Feeling Lexa’s hands gently resting around her head encouraged her tempo to increase.

Grasping the firm cheek of Lexa’s ass, Clarke solicited the alpha’s participation. She sucked harder with each thrust from her mate until the alpha took control of the pace. Relaxing into the rhythm, she let her mind soak in the gasping pants from the latter. Excitement flared as Lexa whimpered her building climax. Throbbing pleasure burned the omega’s sex, she felt her clit swelling with need to an unbearable level as the first spurt of Lexa’s hot seed splashed onto the roof of her mouth.

Fingers pressed along her scalp, keeping her still during the alpha’s orgasm, but her lips and tongue worked to extend the pleasure. Gulping down the warm, tangy liquid, her mouth squeezed the last remaining remnants before allowing Lexa to move. Meeting eyes from her kneeling position she licked her lips clean, “Not bad, Alpha. Ready for round two?”

Grinning in between pants, “Once is never enough.” Plucking Clarke off the ground, She passionately kissed her mate tasting hints of her arousal along the tender lips. Fishing her hand under the beautiful blue sundress, she removed the blonde’s ruined underwear. A torrent of the omega’s desire flushed through her nose fluidising her cock with boiling blood. “You smell so delicious.”

“Thanks, I try.” Clarke nuzzled into the alpha’s neck in a bashful fashion.

Scooping the blonde’s legs up, Lexa’s cock slid through the slick folds earning a moan of approval from the omega. Balancing Clarke’s weight, the brunette freed a hand to guide the thick, lengthy member into place. Teasing the velvety warmth with a few strokes, the alpha sufficiently lubricated the tip. Nails dug deeply into her shirt covered back as her cock sunk slowly into the tight heat of her mate’s cunt.

“Fuck me.” Clarke groaned, her muscles clenching at the alpha’s meat.

Walking into the stall, Lexa rested Clarke's back against the wall. Instinctually, the omega grasped for the top and held herself up just enough for the alpha to get a better angle. Lips found purchase on the exposed skin along the blonde’s neck as hands grasped roughly onto round plush ass. Pumping hard and deep into the sticky constrictive channel the alpha bottomed out on each pass.

Without a heat to induce a knot, Lexa could safely rend herself until climax and still give every inch to Clarke. Slamming the tip into the sweet spot, she felt her mate’s cunt begin to shudder. Thighs tensed around her waist, locking the alpha in place while canting her hips faster. “I’m going to come.” Panting the words into the brunette’s ear, she let go of the stall and clung to Lexa.

The first orgasm winded the blonde but didn’t sate her appetite. Untangling herself from her mate, Clarke turned towards the wall and bent over presenting herself. Firm hands clasped around her hips, steadying her before the alpha buried the full length of her cock inside.

“I love you.” Lexa whimpered, on the verge of her second orgasm she thrust her dick deeper into the quivering slick.

Meeting every thrust her mate gave her, Clarke chased after the pulsing ecstasy teetering on the fringe of feeling. “Babe, I love you too.” After a short pause for breath, she turned to look back at her lover, “I’m pregnant.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end to this particular story. Xevn and I wanted both couples to get the lovely future they deserve but yet wanted it open-ended enough so that all of you could decide what that meant. They are happy. They have their families. They have their jobs. And, the enemies are gone. I don't know what more anyone could ask for. Many blessings to all of you who came along for the journey.


End file.
